RWBY: Light Extinguished
by Zivon96
Summary: Sequel to my story "RWBY: Beacon's Fading Light." Team EMAD enters their second semester at Beacon, but with a new teacher arriving, and a surprise visit from the Atlesian Military it seems that all is not well in Vale. This is no mistake, as a masked vigilante is roaming the streets of Vale, the White Fang is growing in power, and an ancient curse is rising to threaten the world.
1. Prologue: Night Attack

**Well, I told you guys it was sequel time, and what better way to begin a RWBY story than with some trailers?**

**So, without further delay, I give you our first trailer:**

**The Night Attack**

**oxoxoxo**

_Six months ago..._

General Erwin Frundsberg looked out over his army. One thousand of the finest soldiers the Kingdom of Vale had to offer were his to command in this classified operation, all of them having agreed that this mission was never to be spoken of again once completed under pain of death. The army was settling down for the night, pitching a camp in a large clearing in the middle of one of the island's many forests after a long day on campaign. There was no sugar coating the fact that this was a mission of extermination, a battle with one objective: the annihilation of the entire population of the island they were currently on. They were here to wipe out one of the most ancient threats on Remnant, a plague long thought to have been dead, that is until the end of the Faunus War a year prior when it began to appear in coastal towns. The threat realized, the Council of Vale had gathered its most promising generals from that war, given them an army of the best fighters they could assemble and set them to work.

Erwin had been one of the generals selected; his victories over seemingly impossible odds in the Faunus War had earned him considerable respect, especially considering his age. Erwin was seventeen years old, a prodigy general with the skills of a veteran, and when aided by his semblance of tactical analysis, allowing him to find the quickest way to take down an enemy using what resources he held, and he was a force of nature with his army. Today, his resources consisted of his thousand man army, and his three near constant companions, two of which hung from his belt at the moment.

The first was his ever constant companion: his kukri-revolver known as _Hydra. _With enough stopping power to bring down a charging Grimm with one of its six bullets and a special variety of dust contained in the handle for... special purposes. The second was a gift from the Council of Vale after his victories in the Faunus War: a falcata he had chosen to name _Drakon. _The sword may not have contained a gun, but the earth dust forged into the blade made it near indestructible, and in close quarters with the Grimm, that was important.

The sound of footsteps approaching him alerted Erwin to the presence of his third companion, this one slightly more human.

"Ah, it's almost just like the good ol' days, isn't it Erwin, old pal?" Said another man, this one taller than the general, dressed in a red silk robe, a silk covered metal helm, and a suit of plated chainmail as opposed to Erwin's red and blue general's coat and kepi, five stars adorning the hat. The man had long, black hair running down to his shoulders from beneath the helmet, a pair of red eyes looking to the general, meeting his green ones beneath the brown hair that peaked out from his kepi.

"It's pretty close Vlad." Erwin replied. He knew this man, Vlad Paler, well, as one tends to when fighting alongside someone during the Faunus War. Erwin quickly found out just how useful Vlad and his halberd-shotgun _Zepesh _were as they fought side by side. "Except last time we had another with us, and we fought faunus, not... monsters."

Vlad let out a barking laugh and roughly clapped Erwin on the back. "Well, at least the smell will be the same!" He declared. "Speaking of our former companion though, whatever happened to Benny boy anyway?"

"Well, after what he did in the war with us, his family finally let him go to combat school. It'll take a while for him to get in, but at least he's finally on his way." Erwin explained. It was mostly true, their former companion during the Faunus War, Ben Aparte had been trying to get into Beacon academy for years now, but due to some drama involving his family, the boy was sent to the Vale Military Academy instead of a school for huntsmen, and now that he was finally on his way to being accepted, there was no reason for him to die out here. There was another reason Ben had left, however, and that was Vlad.

It was no secret in the army that Vlad was a madman, having resorted to impalement in the Faunus War in order to intimidate their foes and break their spirits. And that was only one of the many brutalities Vlad had committed during the war. By the end of it, Erwin wanted Ben as far from Vlad as possible.

"Scouts say they've seen White Fang members about." Vlad said. "looks like we may just get to fight a few faunus after all."

"Leave them alone, Vlad." Erwin ordered. "We only have so many men and so much ammo here, we don't need to waste it."

"You're kidding, right?" Vlad asked, incredulous. "Those animals could want your head and you'd let them go?"

"They're people too, Vlad." Erwin replied. "And if there is a White Fang cell on the island, the last thing we need to do is piss it off. We don't need two enemies against us at once here. So no Vlad, you're not going to kill them. That's an order."

"You had no problem killing them before-"

"I said, that's an order." Erwin said, cutting off his lieutenant.

Vlad glared at the general and snarled in anger. Were it anyone else, Vlad would have punched him out right there, but he still respected Erwin too much to do so. With another growl, Vlad turned on his heel and stalked off. A great night was just ruined, and he really didn't feel like sharing a camp with these men, in his mood right now he was as likely to kill them as he was to lead them. Spying a nearby cave, Vlad decided that would a be a good place for a temporary rest. Gathering his bedroll, the halberdier set up a temporary camp a short distance into the cavern. He gladly let sleep take him after a long day on campaign.

oxoxoxo

It felt like his eyes had just shut before he heard the sounds of the flames and the screams. The warrior quickly leapt to his feet, grabbing his halberd and charging out of the cave into the night.

After going to war at a young age, very little managed to frighten Vlad anymore, but what he discovered as he burst out of the cave horrified him more than anything else. The entire army camp was set ablaze, tents burning down everywhere. Screams of confusion and terror rang out over the flickering flames, as did the rhythmic staccato of gunfire that silenced those screams. The smell of smoke and burning flesh permeated the air as the burning camp bathed the night in a bright orange glow.

Eyes widened in horror, Vlad charged through the border of fire into the remains of the camp, missing or ignoring as the flames singed his robes. This was a nightmare, this was HIS nightmare. Everything he even remotely cared about was burning to ashes all around him.

His senses abandoned him, only sight remaining as he shambled through the burning camp. He knew he was crying out Erwin's name, knowing the general would find some way to fix this mess. Ignoring the burns he was receiving from the flames, he stumbled numbly onwards, noticing something sticking out of the ground not too far away. Upon reaching it, he wished he had never seen it. No, he wished he had never heard of this place.

Stuck into the ground before him was a sword. Not just any sword, but _Drakon._

The lieutenant general collapsed to his knees in front of the blade. How could this have happened?

Vlad's thoughts were interrupted by the butt of a rifle hitting him in the back of the head, sending him face first into the ash covered dirt. The soldier groaned in pain as a voice from behind him said "Stay down."

Vlad growled in anger, his eyes turning a much darker red. He heard a dust rifle being cocked and that sent him over the edge. He rolled to the side just before three shots were fired at the spot his head just occupied. Leaping to his feet, Vlad raised _Zepesh _and fired, the buckshot tearing through the gunman's chest and sending him to the ground. The halberdier took a moment to look at his would-be killer. Even through the ash, blood and shot, the emblem of the White Fang on his once white robes was still visible. Vlad's rage reached new heights at that point, the fire surrounding him nothing compared to the flame of rage in his mind.

"Don't move!" Another voice called out. Vlad turned to see a dozen more White Fang members had now surrounded him, each one levelling a gun at his head. "Vlad Paler," said their leader, a tall, muscular faunus with arms resembling those of a gorilla. "For your crimes in the Faunus War, I hereby sentence you to death. Drop your weapon now and we'll make it quick."

The lieutenant general glared at the faunus and took a step closer. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?" he growled.

"Stay back!" The faunus barked, his rifle aimed directly at Vlad's head.

Vlad ignored him and took another step. "Do you?"

"I said stop!" The ape-man roared.

"Answer me!" Vlad demanded, screaming right into the terrorist's face.

The faunus answered with a pull of the trigger, a dust infused bullet slamming right into Vlad's head, the soldier falling to the ground. "I know exactly what I've done, you monster." He said, leaning down into the soldier's face.

In an unexpected answer of his own, Vlad's hand shot up and grabbed the man around the throat. Vlad hauled himself up to his feet, pulling the extremist up with him. If the man's eyes had been visible from behind his mask, they would have been full of terror as he looked into the darkening orbs of the madman who now held him, the wound from the gunshot sealing itself. "You've killed a thousand men here today, and condemned millions more to die as a result. For that, I sentence you, all of you, to death."

With those words, Vlad hurled the man it his fellows, the thrown terrorist smashing into three other men. The others responded with gunfire, but the halberdier simply surged through the bullets, shrugging them off as though he didn't even feel them, slamming the head of his halberd into the face of one White Fang, pulling it out to slam the axe head into another's shoulder, the man screaming as he fell to the ground and bled out. Another faunus charged him with a sword, but Vlad blocked his slash attack and smashed the butt of his halberd into his head, dazing him before he kicked him into the roaring fires around them, his screams filling the air.

Hearing the distinct whine of dust rifles priming, Vlad collapsed the head of _Zepesh _and aimed the staff at the source, firing off three rounds and dropping that many men before any of them could get off more than one shot, all of which the soldier was able to shrug off.

A shout from behind Vlad alerted him to two men charging him from behind, one with a sword, the other with a spear. With another blast of buckshot, the spearman was dropped, but Vlad was forced onto the defensive by the swift slashes of the swordsman, the attacks not giving him time to unfold the head of his weapon. Vlad smacked the sword away with his staff and kicked the faunus in the chest, sending him stumbling back. He then aimed and fired, the blast tearing off the man's leg from the knee down, sending him to the ground in a bloody mess, screaming in pain. His screams were silenced as Vlad stepped on his neck and aimed the end of his staff at his face. With a smirk, the soldier activated his weapon, the head of a halberd emerging from the head of the staff, the spike immediately burying itself in the man's forehead.

Vlad chuckled as he removed the blade from the man's head, turning away from him to see he was surrounded, the four remaining White Fang members having taken up positions around him, their ape-armed leader glaring darkly at him. The soldier barely reacted, his chuckles simply escalating into mad laughter, the sounds of his insane mirth echoing even over the still roaring flames.

Before any of the White Fang could demand an explanation, Vlad surged forward and jammed the head of his halberd into one man's chest, picking up the dying man with the polearm and hurling him at his fellows. They managed to dodge the corpse, but Vlad charged behind it and used a swing of his weapon decapitated one of the men, his limp body hitting the ground soon afterward. The third man stabbed at Vlad with a spear, only to have his initial thrust parried and returned as Vlad jammed his halberd's spike into his gut, smirking as his foe coughed up blood.

His smirk turned into a pained grimace of surprise as the blade of a sword shot through his chest, the familiar voice of the faunus leader whispering in his ear "Now try and survive that you monster."

Vlad snarled in response and kicked the faunus away from him. The ape-man stumbled back, leaving his blade in the lieutenant general's body. Vlad turned around a smashed his fist into the man's jaw, when he stumbled back in pain, the soldier grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground. When the ape-man tried to rise, Vlad harshly planted a boot on his chest.

Spitting blood in the face of his adversary, Vlad ripped the sword out of his back and pointed it at the faunus. "You had to come here, didn't you?" He said, as calmly as he could considering the still healing stab wound in his chest. "Do you have any idea what this place is? I'm guessing not because you chose to come here, on your own volition. Well, let me inform you: this place is hell. Lurking in the trees and caves of this place is something ancient, something deadly, and something that can definitely kill you, me and everyone else in the kingdom, hell, everyone else in the world should it break free. We, that is, the men you senselessly slaughtered, were sent here to get rid of it, to save the world if you will." Vlad took a moment to look around at the still burning camp around him. "I don't know if you put on this whole show just for me, but you've sentenced a lot more than me to die tonight." Vlad cocked his head to hear over the flames. The sounds of groans could be heard over the still crackling fire. "You know what, I don't think I'll kill you."

The faunus' face relaxed slightly upon those words, only for it to fall again as Vlad fired his halberd directly into his leg, blowing the limb clean off, drawing a lengthy scream of pain from the extremist, one that was made all the worse when Vlad jammed his sword through his other leg and into the ground. He looked weakly to the soldier as the human glared right into his face. "You said... you said..."

"I said I wouldn't kill you, and I won't." Vlad assured the pained man. "Instead, I'll leave you here, let you experience firsthand what you've doomed so many to."

With that, Vlad walked off, a massive horde approaching from the other direction. By all accounts, this mission, this entire war was a failure. Erwin was dead, the army was destroyed, and now he was stuck on this island. It was just him and the ancient curse on this place.

Might as well make the best of it.

**oxoxoxo**

**Well, there's trailer number one, and it's time to give credit where credit is due.**

**Vlad Paler, Erwin Frundsberg and the idea of the night attack were created by DeadAliveManiac, one of the many authors who leant me characters for this story, all of whom will be credited when the time comes.**

**Until then, please, review, let me know what you think.**


	2. Prologue: Axman Begins

**Trailer 2**

**Axman Begins**

**oxoxoxo**

A black pickup truck with a hardtop pulled up to the Vale City docks at dusk, parking right by a large, Schnee company freighter. The passenger door opened and a man in a black suit with a red tie, red glasses and a black fedora stepped out. Taking a quick look around the docks, he turned back to the truck and gave a nod, five other men following him out, each one drawing either a pistol or a sword. "Alright boys," the passenger said. "We don't know how much dust has already been moved offsite, but whatever's left, Torchwick wants it. If that's not getting through your skulls, that means WE want it. Find whatever you can and report back here."

There was a chorus of "Yes sir" before all six of the men went off in different directions. Unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes observed them from the shadows, silently watching as the men went off on their own, making a mental note of which ones had guns, which ones had swords and which ones' suits were wrinkled, the answer to the last one being two of them. The owner of the eyes smirked as he watched those two walk off in opposite directions. _I guess those two will be first._

In a matter of minutes, the six men began returning. "Any of you witless idiot's find anything?" Their leader asked.

The three other men shook their heads and the boss planted his face in his hand. "Damn – wait, weren't there more of you morons?" The men looked around their group to see that, indeed, there were only four of them now as opposed to the six that had gone in. The man in charge sighed. "Alright, we'd better find them. Split into groups of two and we'll check their sections of the docks."

Two of the men nodded and set off in the direction of their comrade's patrol. It wasn't long before they found his unconscious form, his hat knocked off and a large bruise on the back of his head. "Boss isn't gonna like this." One man muttered.

The other man nodded in agreement as he looked around the area, eyes open for anything that could have done this. His eyes suddenly went wide, but he didn't even have time to scream, instead grunting in pain as a shadowy shape slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. His comrade turned at the sound, looking to him just in time for his comrade's face to be slammed into his, knocking them both out.

Meanwhile, the boss and his last man returned to the still running truck, both of them climbing in, the boss turning to the driver with an order of "Forget the other guys, we're leaving." He had seen the condition of his other man, and he was in no mood to have that happen to him. Let Torchwick get his own dust, he wasn't risking his neck on a supply that might not even be there.

The driver didn't question it, simply applying pressure to the gas pedal and starting the drive out of the lot. Seconds felt like hours as they drove, not a single one breathing a word for fear that whatever got the others might hear them.

It was all proven to be in vain, however, as something soon slammed into the roof of the truck, a startled cry being drawn from the mouths of the men as it smashed a massive dent into the frame. The cry became a full on scream as the head of an axe was buried in the roof, the blade stopping only inches from one man's head.

The boss in response drew his pistol and aimed at the roof, firing off three shots at where he knew the axe's handle was. It did no good for him though, as a figure smashed through the back seat window, feet first, boots slamming into his last man and smashing his head against the other window. Before either of the men could react, the dark figure grabbed the driver by the back of his head and slammed it into the steering wheel once, twice, again, finally knocking him out before scrambling back onto the roof and ripping his axe out of the truck, leaping off as he did.

The boss desperately struggled for control over the truck, finally bringing it to a screeching halt, kicking open his door and storming out, pistol raised as he looked around the darkened shipyard. "Where are you..." he muttered, casting his eyes and his aim around the area. "WHERE ARE YOU!?" he screamed, his grip on the gun shaking in rage and fear.

"Here I am!" a cheery voice responded from behind him.

The boss spun around only for a familiar axe blade to embed itself in his gun, knocking the piece out of his hands. It was only then that he got a good look at the man who attacked his men. He was tall, about six feet, and completely covered in black, dressed in a long, black trenchcoat, a black fedora sitting atop his head and a black mask covering his eyes, the only part of his face that was visible was his crazed smile. The nightmarish image was made complete by what appeared to be a woodsman's axe clutched in his right hand. "Who... Who are you?" the man stammered.

In the blink of an eye, the assailant slammed the butt of his axe into the man's face, sending him stumbling back before he swept his legs out from under him with the blunt end of the weapon. The man was finally knocked out when the attacker's boot smashed his face into the ground. He looked down to his latest victim and smirked. "You can call me the Axman." He chuckled before pulling out a scroll and dialling a number.

"_Hello?" _said the voice on the other end, a man's voice with an Irish accent.

"You were right, they did decide to come back for the dust." The Axman said.

"_I had a feeling they would, lad, that's why I told you." _The voice replied. _"How many were there?"_

"Seven men, six thugs and a driver." The Axman explained.

"_No sign of any higher ups?"_

"Were you expecting them to show up?"

"_Nay, lad, more of hoping. It doesn't matter, get out of there before the authorities show up."_

"You called them again?"

"_Aye. Why do you ask?"_

There was a sigh from the vigilante. "No reason." He said. "I guess this just makes the trip out a bit more complicated." He grinned once again. "Oh well, it's more fun this way."

**oxoxoxo**

**More credit is due for this chapter.**

**The Axman was created by author Undaed15 who generously let me borrow a few of his characters, including the Axman and the two snakes from the end of "Beacon's Fading Light." Check out his story "Eight New Faces" if you have the chance.**

**Until then, please review and let me know what you think.**


	3. Prologue: The Commander

**Trailer 3**

**The Commander**

**oxoxoxo**

The Vale City Prison, home to the most dangerous or important of the kingdom's criminals, many of whom had been sentenced for life. Today, they were receiving a new inmate, a man who, without a fight of any kind, was marched through the corridors of the prison by the AK130 droids, his long brown hair dishevelled and his vacant green eyes glued to the floor. He appeared to any he passed to be dead inside, and how right they were for this man had lost everything in the last few days, kept alive only with the knowledge that what he fought for was not lost. Other prisoners could only look on as this man was led to his cell, wondering with a sense of dread just what the droids had done to him to.

Little did they know that this man had been in that state even before his arrival. But then, the prisoners didn't need to know that as he took a seat in his cell, looking every bit the walking corpse as he ever did. One of the security droids approached him and spoke in its robotic monotone. "You may now have your phone call prisoner 59610."

The man looked up into the faceplate of the machine. "I have a name you know." He muttered.

The droid didn't miss a beat in its response. "So long as you are here you are here, you are prisoner 59610. Choose who you wish to contact or forfeit the call."

The prisoner merely sighed. "Put me through to Erik Fantine." He mumbled.

"Acknowledged." The robot replied, producing a scroll and activating its video call function. The man spent the precious seconds as the call connected desperately trying to collect his thoughts and put together just what he would say. After all, his last conversation with this man hadn't ended well at all.

Before long, he was jerked out of his mind by the masked visage of Erik Fantine appearing on the screen. There was a silence as both men simply stared into each other's eyes. The prisoner broke the silence first. "Hello Erik."

The phantom nodded. "Curtis."

Marolw sighed and stared at the ground. "Erik, I... I just wanted to apologize for what I did. It was the wrong thing to do, I should never have done it and-"

"Enough, Curtis." Fantine said, cutting off his former colleague. "I think you're paying for that little incident enough as is without having to debase yourself like this."

Marlow sighed as he turned back to the masked professor. Erik could sometimes be infuriatingly cryptic, but when it mattered, the man was blunt as a hammer.

"You obviously didn't call me just to ask my forgiveness." Fantine said, reminding Marlow of the ongoing call. "You could have just sent that in a letter or waited for me to visit you. No, you want something from me, I can tell."

Marlow let out another sigh. "I never could hide anything from you, Erik." He said weakly. "I need a favour. In my office, if they haven't already cleared it out, there's a set of keys on my desk. Hanging on its own key ring is the key to the bottom drawer of my desk, and in that drawer..." Marlow opened his mouth to say more, but was unable to continue. The thought of what he was about to say choked him inside, making the once proud huntsman into a terrified mute.

Erik watched as the former professor desperately tried to come up with an answer. On one hand, he only had so much time for this call, but on the other, the man had been through enough without him snapping to spit it out. "Curtis, I can't do what you ask if I don't know what you want me to-"

"It's Jaune's inheritance." The former huntsman blurted out. "It's... Well, you can see for yourself what it is." Marlow was silent as he remembered the last time he saw it. "In just over a week it'll be the anniversary of Arthur's death and... I think that would be a good time to give it to Jaune. Can you do that for me?"

Erik immediately nodded. "I can do that, Curtis."

Marlow felt like the weight of a planet was taken off his shoulders. "Thank you Erik. You're the only one I can really trust with this."

"Consider it done old friend. Goodbye."

Marlow sighed and pressed the end call button on the scroll. The AK130 took the communicator and stepped out of the cell. Marlow had already retired to his bed when he heard the clapping sound. HE turned to the source, the cell next to his, to see that the dog eared faunus inhabiting it was giving him a sarcastic applause. "Well that was certainly dramatic." He commented. Marlow didn't respond. "What are you in for? And what did they do to you? You look dead."

Marlow gave what could be mistaken for a bitter chuckle. "You certainly ask a lot of questions. Why don't you tell me first?"

"Whatever, human." The dog-man responded. "What do you think I'm in for? I'm a White Fang member. I was captured on a mission and now I'm here. What about you?"

Marlow gave another snort of bitter laughter. "You make it up, it'll be more interesting that way."

The faunus grumbled something foul under his breath. "You might want to tell me soon, human. I won't be here long. My brothers in the White Fang will have me out of here any day now."

Marlow was about to respond when the AK130 on guard duty did for him. "Silence, prisoners. No one will escape this prison."

The faunus scoffed. "Do you know how many White Fang members are in this facility alone? I don't need to escape, someone's coming for us. The only question is how long I need to wait."

Marlow rolled his eyes and lay back down on his bed. He'd be here for quite a while after what he did, so he may as well get comfortable.

He was just closing his eyes when a series of gunshots were heard from outside, followed by the blare of alarms raging across the prison. The veteran rose from his bed and stepped up to the guard. "What's going on?"

"The facility is under attack. Remain in your cell, Prisoner 59610, or you will be shot." The guard responded.

Another mass of gunshots were heard from outside, the screams of civilians and the AK130s outside returning fire rang through in the cell, but to Marlow, one sound was heard above all others. The veteran strained his ears to see if he could recognize it, the distinct sound of one of the weapons firing from outside... Where did he know it from?

... No. It couldn't be!

Was he hearing another ghost?

oxoxoxo

Minutes earlier, an armoured personnel carrier thundered through the streets of Vale. The unmarked outside drew a few glances, but not nearly as many as would be garnered by the vehicle had it borne its true colours. The White Fang, after all, was not usually welcome in public.

Inside the back of the carrier sat a dozen men in blue coats lined with gold trim, each one bearing the symbol of the White Fang in white on their shoulders, their faces covered in the traditional masks and their heads bearing black army caps. Each one was armed to the teeth, a dust powered carbine in hand, a large pistol at their sides and a long, thin blade strapped to their hips. None spoke a word as the vehicle kept going, each one merely staring into the mask of the man in front of him. They knew their jobs, so there was nothing to say. These men were becoming some of the most feared operatives in the whole White Fang, their unit name becoming known and almost respected amongst humans.

However, if it weren't for one person, the name they have today would never have existed.

The door to the cockpit opened, and in stepped a towering woman in a blue greatcoat with gold trim and cuffs. Atop her head, covering the top of her mane of golden hair was a black, gold trimmed tricorne hat, and slung across her back was a rifle nearly as tall as she was, a bayonet like a spearhead topping the massive weapon. She radiated an aura of authority so strong that a lesser man would be pushed back, but these men had grown used to her by now. After all, one didn't last long in an elite force without learning to deal with their commander. She had brought them this far, through countless battles and operations, and now they had reached near mythical status, the mere mention of their name being enough to make humans shiver. Until now they had worked from the shadows, raiding human camps and supply lines, leaving none alive as they left. Today, however, they were to strike in the light where all could see, fear and respect them.

They were the Caroleans, and today they would make their existence known to the world.

"You all know the mission." The giant of a woman stated, unslinging the rifle and slamming home a fresh clip. "The Vale City Prison lies ahead of us, in it, a dozen of our brothers and sisters wait for us to free them. This is why there remain empty seats in our transport. Our brothers and sisters will need somewhere to ride when they are freed from their chains. Some say it's impossible to break these walls. Some say what we face today is suicide. Those who say that obviously don't know who we are." She said, marching down the aisle of the vehicle, ignoring the pace it set. "I, for one, do know who we are, and we've never fallen before, have we?"

"NO MA'AM!" Was the resounding chorus from the men.

"So will we fall today?" The woman asked, her voice rising as she spoke.

"NO MA'AM!" Echoed the men.

"Today we free our brothers and sisters." The woman said, growing louder with each word. "Today, we reveal to the humans that we deserve to be feared!" With that, the APC stopped, and all was silent. The woman looked over her soldiers, as they all looked expectantly back to her. "I won't lie to you, this will be our most difficult mission yet, but I believe in you, having stood by you through many another campaign. Now, will you stand with me?"

Not a word was spoken as the soldiers rose one by one, some looking proud and confident while others seemed more nervous, hands shaking as they held their rifles. Still, all of them rose at the word of their commander.

The woman nodded to them and from behind her mask a deep blue light could be seen, the light spreading to masked eyes of her troops, one by one, each one standing taller as their face became completely vacant, visible features set in a line. The woman looked to them, her face and all of theirs bearing the same flat affect. "Take up positions in a firing line and strike." She said, voice as flat as her face. "We fire as one, we march as one, we fight as one, we die as one."

"We are the Caroleans." The soldiers responded, their emotionless voices joined as one.

The door to the APC opened and as one they marched out, quickly forming a firing line and raising their rifles. The AK130s on guard raised their weapons in response, but before they could fire, the entire faunus line shot, the rounds tearing through every machine in the courtyard, the sound of the commander's rifle echoing over all the others.

The sounding of the alarms didn't even phase the soldiers or their commander as they advanced as one on the facility, a round of shots tearing through any machine that emerged. Before long, they had made it to the facility door, where two soldiers stepped forward, the first shooting off the lock with two shots of his rifle, the second bringing her boot back and kicking the door in with a mighty blow, both of them immediately raising their weapons and firing, two AK130s falling as they did.

Unfortunately, those machines were not alone, several of them were stationed through the lobby of the building, and each one opened fire, the Caroleans just barely getting to cover in time as they did.

"Ma'am." One of the soldiers said, turning to his commander. "How do we get in now?"

"Don't worry." She replied. "I have that covered." With that, she activated her communicator.

oxoxoxo

Atop the building behind the prison sat two girls in identical snake pattern robes, the robes themselves were marked with a scale pattern, and the hoods had twin points resembling fangs protruding from the front. The first girl was taller, towering over the other as she looked through the scope of a long rifle at the facility. The second was much shorter with crossbows mounted to her bracers on her wrists.

"What do you see Micca?" The shorter girl asked impatiently, arms crossed.

"The attack has begun." The taller girl stated. "We should be getting the order any minute now."

As if on cue, both girls heard a voice in their ears from their communicators. _"Cobra, Taipan, this is Lioness, you are cleared to proceed with your objectives." _Came the voice of the commander. _"My men and I have most of the tin cans distracted. You know your mission, you know the goal. Move out."_

The taller girl put a hand to her ear and responded. "Lioness, this is Taipan, Cobra and I are moving in now."

"_Acknowledged." _Came the monotone response.

The shorter girl sighed. "Caroline is always such a joy to work under."

"You have a problem with the commander, Wun?" The taller one responded.

"No, but with that semblance of hers she just doesn't seem to enjoy anything." Wun said. "Oh well, we have our assignment, let's get a move on."

Micca nodded and checked her rifle again. "No guards on the outer wall, looks like that's our target."

Wun nodded and both girls produced grappling hooks, twirling them before throwing them up to the top of the wall. The snakes made great time as they scaled the ropes, making it quickly to the top of the wall and clambering over with ease before raising weapons again, Micca's rifle transforming itself into an axe as she drew it. Seeing no enemies in site, the two girls secured their grappling hooks once again and scaled their way down the inside of the wall, landing inside the walls of the prison before making for the nearest door, Micca kicking it open and Wun firing one of her crossbows into the head of an AK130 on guard duty before leaping upon the other, a blade emerging from her bracer and embedding itself in the machine's face.

"Do you have to be so dramatic?" Asked her sister.

Wun shrugged. "It gets their attention if their toys are destroyed rather than just broken."

"Point taken." Micca responded. "Now, which way to the control room?"

The shorter snake girl pulled out a digital schematic of the prison and pointed down the hall. "This way. Come on, let's move."

Micca nodded and the two sisters took off, silently running through the halls of the facility, swiftly executing any machine they found. Finally, they reached a large door marked **Control. **The sisters exchanged a nod before Micca used her rifle to shoot the lock off the door and kicked it in, Wun leaping through and landing on the lone human in the room, delivering a bite to his neck. The man gasped in surprise and fell off his chair to the ground. As soon as Wun did this, however, all six AK130s in the room aimed their blades at her.

"Intruder, surrender and you will be spared." The lead machine said.

Wun never had to give it an answer, because with a swing of Micca's axe its head flew off. Wun immediately leapt upon another machine, sinking both her blades into its chest and head.

Each girl was then confronted by two droids, each one levelling its bladed arms towards their vitals. The machines flanking Wun struck first, one slashing at her head and the other at her legs. The snake, however, jumped in between the attacks, firing her second crossbow bolt into one machine's chest. Knocked back by the force of the bolt, the machine was easy prey for the snake, who leapt upon it with her blades before hurling its metal carcass at the other, jumping on it and driving her blades through its face as it fell.

Meanwhile, Micca blocked the blades of one droid with the shaft of her axe before juking out of the way of the other, using the momentum of her dodge to raise her axe and chop the machine in two. The second machine was easy after that, a swing of her axe severing its arms before she embedded the weapon in its head. "That was easy enough." She said as she pulled her weapon from her adversary's head.

"Less joking, more searching." Wun said as she searched over the human's console.

"What did you do to him?" Micca demanded, suddenly noticing the man.

"Relax, it was just a knockout poison. He'll wake up tomorrow in a lot of pain, but he'll wake up." Wun said, eyes never leaving the console as she searched for her objective. "More than he deserves." She muttered darkly.

Micca could have said more, but Wun cut her off before she could even open her mouth. "Found it."

oxoxoxo

Caroline and her men had made it into the facility and now controlled the main exit, securing their escape as soon as the plan went into effect. The commander would have felt pride if her semblance would allow her to do so.

"_Lioness," _Came Wun's voice through her earpiece. _"This is Cobra, we've reached our objective, awaiting your order."_

Caroline put two fingers to her earpiece and responded. "Perfect timing Cobra. Do it."

"_Copy that commander, releasing all prisoners but the target's cell block."_

The second the words were spoken, all hell broke loose. Alarms blared louder than ever before as the sound of a thousands of doors opening could be heard. Caroline would have smirked if she could, but for now, that wasn't an option as she turned to her men. The lot of you, hold this position and await our brothers. When they're all here, get them to the transport and get out of here."

The soldiers all nodded as their commander turned down the hallway and took off at a breakneck pace, any machine she encountered either taking a bullet or her bayonet. "Cobra, Taipan, meet me at the target's cell."

"_Copy that, Lioness." _Wun and Micca responded as one.

oxoxoxo

Marlow was beginning to grow annoyed with this faunus.

"I knew they'd come for me." He said, snarkily.

The veteran rolled his eyes. "The alarm said that cells are opening, why hasn't yours?" The dog-man opened his mouth, but said nothing as he realized that Marlow was right. He was about to tell him to shut up and not get his hopes up when another door was kicked down and two robed girls entered, one hefting a large axe while the other wore a pair of wrist-crossbows.

This seemed to finally phase the man, but not in a way Marlow expected. While he did instantly recognize the masks on the girls' faces as being White Fang masks, that didn't explain the look of abject horror on the faunus' face. The shorter of the two girls walked up to his cell and giggled at his reaction. "What's the matter Luke?" She asked, voice sickeningly sweet. "Is it because you know who we are?"

"Can't say I do." Said the bored sounding Marlow as he made his way to the bars of his cell. "Let me guess, you'll now tell me?"

"Let's just say the White Fang has us remove problems for them." The shorter girl said in that same tone. "Problems like Luke here, who sold out his brothers to humans and got all these innocent faunus locked up here." With those words, the girl suddenly turned serious. "Micca, watch his cell, make sure he doesn't interfere."

The taller girl nodded and approached Marlow's cell, axe ready in case he tried anything. To her surprise, the human barely even moved as she approached. The dog-man, on the other hand, freaked out. "You gotta help me, man, you don't know who these two are! You don't know what they'll do!"

"That's enough out of you." The shorter girl said, the dog suddenly growing silent at her words. "We know just what you did Luke, and we can't just have you doing that again, now can we?"

Luke desperately tried to stammer a response, the taller girl turning to the shorter one as he did. "Enough, the commander wants to see him personally."

"Th-the c-commander?" Luke stuttered, obviously terrified.

Before either one could respond, Marlow erupted into a blur of motion, grabbing the handle of the taller girl's axe, spinning her around and holding her by the throat with the shaft. "Alright, nobody needs to get hurt here. You back out of here, and I let her go, understand?"

"I think you should just let her go, now, human." The shorter girl said.

Marlow was about to reply when he realized he couldn't. The girl was making a surprising amount of sense... What was she doing in his head? How was she there? Marlow knew he needed to get her out and quickly. He needed to go down to the dark place... Back to Ognoc... Back to the deaths... "I think I'll keep her until you leave." He muttered darkly, the tone of his voice sending shivers up the spines of the room's occupants.

The shorter girl hissed in anger and raised one of her wrist-bows. Marlow tightened his grip on the axe as he snarled in response. It seemed this had become a standoff.

That's when the last figure entered the room. Tall, proud, draped in her blue and gold coat was Caroline, rifle raised and ready. That's when Marlow's eyes widened as he realized just why that one gun sounded so familiar to him before. His grip on the girl's axe loosened as he fell to the floor, two words repeated in a disbelieving mumble as he did: _"Shining Roar..."_

Caroline heard the words, surprised that any human would know them. She marched up to the cell and looked down to the shocked man on the floor, pushing past her subordinate as she did. "How do you know that name?" She asked in a low, menacing growl. Marlow, still shocked, didn't respond. Behind her mask, Caroline narrowed her eyes at this man. Just who was he? And How did he know the name of her father's rifle? "Who are you?" When she still didn't get a response she turned to the disgraced dog next to him. "Luke, who is he?"

"Well, uh, ma'am, I think they said he was-" Luke stuttered.

"Any day now, Luke." Caroline growled, her masked eyes never leaving his.

"They said it was Marlow!" He blurted out.

"Marlow..." She replied in a mutter. "You served with my father, didn't you? You were on his team." Before any other words could be spoken, the distinctive firing of _Shining Roar _could be heard again, and Luke fell to the ground, a hole in his chest. "You were a friend to my father, so I'll spare you this time, Curtis Marlow. But know this: Caroline Leon, daughter of Gustav Leon of Team AGTM, and inheritor of his legacy does not make the same mistake twice. Should you threaten someone under my command again, I will kill you."

With those words, Caroline gestured for the snakes to follow her, the three of them quickly left the room, Marlow still trying to comprehend what he had just seen. The daughter of one of his teammates had joined, no, was commanding the very kind of organization he spoke out against, and by the way she invoked his name, she probably thought she was doing it in his honour.

**oxoxoxo**

**And thus, we have our third and final trailer, introducing the Commander: Caroline Leon. A profile will go up for her pretty soon, as well as ones for Marlow and Fantine and any other characters I create. As for the characters other people have leant me, I may post them, as long as their owners are okay with it.**

**Now, I should have said this earlier, but I've unfortunately been busy recently.**

**As you all know by now, Monty Oum has tragically passed away recently, and this has struck a blow among many, to have lost not only someone of his talent and potential, but a role model and to some a close friend. My heart and sympathies go out to Monty's family and friends as well as the entire staff of Rooster Teeth as they deal with his loss, he was taken from us all far too soon.**

**In the wake of his death, I seriously considered whether or not I should even continue writing, whether I should lay down my pen and leave his creation where it lay. Then I imagined saying that to him, and his reaction. No, I decided, I had to continue, if not for you guys who read this, then for him. Monty always encouraged creativity, be in fanart, cosplay, or even fanfiction, the man even gave out a guide on how to make a RWBY OC. He would want not just me, but all of us to continue writing. A friend of mine asked me if I thought RWBY would still continue even with Monty's death, my response was that even if Rooster Teeth decided not to continue, RWBY will live on through us, so in Monty's name, we should, no, we **_**must **_**continue to be creative and write stories.**

**Now, I can only ask of you to continue what you do best in his honour. If you're a writer, then write great stories. If you're an artist, draw great artwork. If you're a cosplayer, make the best costumes you can make. While Monty may be gone, together we can keep his spirit alive.**

**And Monty, I don't know if you'll see this in between choreographing action scenes for God himself, but if you do, know that your friends, your family and your fans will never forget you.**

_**In Dedicatio a  
Monty Oum  
1981-2015  
Requiescat In Pace**_


	4. Chapter 1: Best Day, Bad News

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 1**

**oxoxoxo**

It was a new day in the city of Vale, as the sun rose over the busy city streets. People were still running about in what could best be described as organized chaos as they prepared for the event of the year: the Vytal Festival.

The owner of the shop "From Dust Till Dawn" watched as people scurried about as he hung a banner across the front of his shop, one that read "Newly Re-Opened." Yes, months after the attack on his business by that ruffian Torchwick, he was finally ready to return to said business.

And what better way to return than by being accidentally knocked off his ladder with a rather embarrassing yelp. Yes, this was truly the best way to proceed.

"Excuse me..." A voice from above him apologized. The shop owner looked up to see the person who had bumped into him. She was fairly short, and lithe, with coffee brown skin and green hair framing her delicate, red eyed face. She wore a green and white... what did the kids call it again? Was it a 'crop top?' Maybe. Anyway, the portion covering her breasts was green, while the rest of it was white, and her pants which cut off just below the knees were white with a brown covering, and holstered behind her were what appeared to be a pair of pistols. A huntress in training then. She offered him a hand, one he gladly accepted. "Sorry," She said, apologetically as she pulled him to his feet. "I'm not really form around here." Must have been here for the Festival. She held up a slip of paper with an address on it and asked. "Would you mind pointing me in the direction of this shop?"

He quickly recognized the address, that was Tuckson's Book Trade. She was probably looking for school books. With a cheery nod, he pointed her in the right direction and with a smile she bid him farewell and walked off.

_What a nice young lady. _He thought as he got back to work.

_What a chump. _She thought as she walked away, passing by a building with a silver haired boy leaning against it. "I knew you were lost." He said.

The green haired girl turned to face him with a scowl. Everything about this boy said 'smooth.' He wore a baggy black and grey shirt under an armoured silver jacket, and black pants with a pair of fancy boots, boots she knew contained a pair of shotguns for combat. Topping him off was a head of spiked silver hair that fell just enough over his grey eyes. "Mercury..." She growled. "I will seriously pay you to shut up." She said, waving a wallet full of cash in his face.

"That's not your money." Mercury admonished with a shake of his head.

"But it could be yours for five minutes of silence." The girl offered, waving the store owners stolen wallet in his face.

Mercury seemed to consider it, but eventually replied with "No deal." And an infuriating shake of his head. The girl growled and tore the money out of the wallet, tossing the wallet to the ground and storming off. Mercury scoffed and followed. "Whatever, you know you want me."

It seemed like they had only been walking for ten seconds before Mercury gave another complaint. "So how much further?"

"A few blocks." The girl replied.

"This place is so dull." Mercury droned.

"Eh, I kind of like it." The girl responded. "Tall buildings, diverse culture..."

"And nice dopey people for you to pick-pocket." He finished.

"That's every city." She growled.

"Ooh, Emerald, master thief," Mercury said in an exaggerated 'sad voice.' "please don't take my money, I barely have enough to get by..." He said, hanging his head dramatically at the end.

The girl, Emerald scowled and continued to walk, Mercury following behind her once again. "You're no fun today." He muttered.

Soon, the two of them reached their target: a darkened book store in a secluded street. As the two of them walked in, the door to the back opened, and a tall, broad shouldered man emerged, a large stack of books in his hands. "Welcome to Tuckson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun." He said, setting down the books before returning to the counter. "How may I..." He stumbled slightly upon seeing his 'customer' but managed to regain his composure. "How may I help you?"

"Just browsing." Said Mercury from the front, closing a book with an audible 'snap.'

"Actually," said Emerald, approaching the counter. "I was wondering, do you have any copies of _The Thief and the Butcher?" _

"Yes, we do." The owner answered.

"That's great." The thief replied.

"Would you... like a copy?" The owner awkwardly asked.

"No." Emerald replied. "Just wondering. From the front of the store, Mercury slammed another book shut, louder this time. "Oh, what about _Violet's Garden _in paperback?"

"He's got it." Said Mercury, holding aloft another book. "Hard back too."

"Ooh, options are nice." Emerald mused.

"Eh, no pictures." Mercury complained, slamming the book shut and putting it back. "Hey! You have any comics?"

"Near the front." The owner replied. These customers might be a little odd, but at least one knew what he wanted.

"Oh, no wait!" The girl suddenly piped up. "What about _Third Crusade?" _She asked, leaning over the counter.

The owner faltered at that. "Um... I..." He stammered. He was out of luck it seemed. "I don't believe we carry that one..."

Another book slammed shut at the front. "Oh?" The boy said, less confused and more uncaring.

"What was this place called again?" The girl asked.

"Tuckson's Book Trade." He replied.

"And, you're Tuckson?" She asked.

"That's right."

"So then I take it you're the one who came up with the catchphrase."

"Yes."

"Aaand, what was it again?" The boy asked, still seeming not to care.

Tuckson sighed. "Tuckson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun." He muttered.

"Except _The Third Crusade." _The silver haired boy said, cutting him off.

"It's just a catchphrase..."

"It's false advertising!" He snapped.

"You shouldn't make a promise you can't keep Tuckson." The girl said. The boy stepped closer to the front of the shop and began to darken the windows. "I hear you're planning on leaving. Moving all the way to Vacuo." She said, the shop getting darker and Tuckson's pulse getting faster with each word. This was not going to end well. "Your brothers in the White Fang wouldn't be happy to hear that." She said, the boy darkening the final window with a devilish smirk. "And neither are we."

The shop fell into silence as Tuckson glared at these two intruders. He was only trying to make an honest living. Working with the White Fang would get him killed!

"You know who we are, don't you?" Emerald asked.

"Yes." Tuckson replied, knowing what came next.

"Then you probably know we've brought someone with us." She said. Tuckson was confused as she reached into her pocket and produced a scroll. His eyes widened as the video call feature was activated and a familiar face lit up the screen.

"_Hello Tuckson."_

"C-Commander Leon?" He stammered. He knew the reputation of the commander, knew what she did to deserters...

"_You disappoint me Tuckson." _Caroline said, shaking her head. _"I really did expect better from you." _

"Commander, I-"

"_Mercury, kill him."_

Before Tuckson could say anything or even beg for mercy, a boot was soaring for his face. A gunshot was heard, but muffled by the store walls it would have easily been a book falling over.

oxoxoxo

It was a bright and shining new day at Beacon Academy. The sun was shining, birds were singing in the trees, and breakfast was being served. One of the teams currently acquiring the most important meal of the day was the able bodied members of Team EMAD. Thatch, Alison and Francois were helping themselves to food while Francois regaled them with his tale from the docks. "So I'm in the middle of a duel with this White Fang operative, in a life or death fight when suddenly,"

"When suddenly an entire bullhead was pulled to the ground by one girl who disappeared after the fight." Thatch finished. "Noble boy, you've been telling us this same story for almost two weeks now."

Alison giggled at the two boys bickering. There was no one else she would rather have on her team than these two.

Francois huffed. "Fine, just kill all my fun."

Unfortunately for him, Thatch was ready for this response. "Stop the presses everyone, Francois Delatrois knows how to have fun!"

The nobleman grumbled something in response, but before he could retaliate, a familiar face popped up. "Did someone say fun?" Yang chimed.

"I did." Thatch replied. "Why are you here then?"

Yang gave Thatch a slap on the back and a chuckle, though in humour or annoyance, no one could be sure. "Well, in that case, I guess you don't want to join our team and Team JNPR for lunch then."

"I don't know." The renegade mused, turning to his teammates. "What do you two think?" Alison immediately nodded, while Francois rolled his eyes and shrugged. "I guess we will then."

Yang mimicked Francois and rolled her eyes before leading the three hunters in training to their table. Weiss and Blake already sat next to Yang, and Team JNPR sat across from them. Team EMAD's members dispersed among the two teams, Francois taking his seat next to Team JNPR, while Thatch and Alison chose to sit next to RWBY. That was when the Artist noticed something. "Hey," she softly pointed out. "Where's Ruby?" Indeed, the youngest of their group of friends was missing from her team's side of the table.

Weiss, who currently sat next to her, gave a shrug. "Not sure. When I asked, she said she had something 'important' to do." She said, making air quotes around 'important.' "Any idea what, Yang?"

Yang merely shrugged as she caught a cherry tomato thrown by Nora. The blonde then turned to Blake who was buried in her notebook. "Whatcha doin'?" she asked, leaning over her partner's shoulder.

Blake jolted up from the book and slammed it shut. "Uh, nothing, just going over some notes form last semester..."

"Lame!" Yang declared, catching another tomato from Nora, the hammer wielder giggling in response.

Nora tossed a grape into the blonde's mouth before Ruby finally arrived, slamming a _massive _binder down on the table, the front reading _"BEST DAY EVER ACTIVITIES!" _in bright red. Thatch and Alison were nervous already, even before Ruby began her speech. "Sisters, friends... Weiss."

"Hey!" cried the ice queen, face slightly red.

Ruby ignored her as she continued. "Four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream!" the reaper declared.

"This ought to be good." Yang muttered with a smirk. Thatch gave a chuckle, unsure if he was nervous or interested.

"A dream," Ruby continued "That one day the four of us would come together, as a team, and have the most fun anyone has ever had... ever!"

"Did you steal my binder?" Weiss asked indignantly, the traces of red in her cheeks suddenly gone.

"I am not a crook." Was the reaper's immediate response.

"What are you talking about?" Blake inquired.

"I'm talking about kicking off the semester with a bang!" Ruby announced.

"I always kick my semesters off with a YANG!" Yang punned, completely killing any and all of Ruby's thunder. "Am I right guys?" she said, amidst a chorus of groans.

"Boo!" Nora and Thatch cried, each one of them lobbing a piece of fruit at Yang's head. Alison giggled at their antics, hiding it with her hand and her usual quiet affect.

"Look guys, it's been a good two weeks, and between more exchange students arriving and the tournament at the end of the year, our second semester is going to be great."

Alison, Thatch and Francois all shared a look. They realized as one that since Maria's injuries last semester, they hadn't been able to do anything as a team aside from schoolwork, and all of them were beginning to grow tired of that, especially the centurion herself. Maria had been confined to an infirmary bed for the last two weeks as her leg recovered. Even with medical dust it was unlikely she'd be able to fight again for at least another week. It was then that the three made a silent agreement: today, the second they finished lunch, they were going to meet up with their leader in the infirmary and do something fun. As a team.

Unfortunately, Team EMAD wouldn't be going anywhere, anytime soon, as their moment of unity was interrupted by an audible 'splat,' followed by deafening silence. The three chanced a glance at the rest of the table, where a pan of whipped cream was sliding off of Weiss' face, the two teams having near mirrored expressions of shock and horror.

The remnants of Team EMAD slowly moved back from the other teams. This was not going to end well...

oxoxoxo

"So then we were fighting side by side," Sun Wukong enthusiastically said to his companion, the blue haired, smooth talking spearman Neptune Vasilias. "And then I threw a banana at a guy, which sounds gross, but it was awesome!"

"Nice." Neptune smoothly responded. The two of them were walking to meet the teams from Beacon that Sun had told him about. These guys had been seriously hyped up, and Neptune could not wait to meet them.

"Right?" Said Sun. "And the best part is, she's a faunus." The monkey tailed martial artist immediately covered his mouth at that line. "But that's a secret, okay?"

"Got it." Neptune assured.

"And not a 'I'm gonna go tell Scarlet the second Sun turns his back' secret, I'm talking SECRET secret." Sun said seriously.

"Whoa, chill out man." Neptune said, reassuringly "Okay? I got it. I got it." He said much more softly.

"You better." Sun said, Neptune scoffing. "I just don't want to screw this up, you know. The people here are the coolest... No offense to you guys."

"None taken." Said Neptune.

The two boys soon reached the door to the cafeteria, the place where Sun knew the teams were. "Okay, they're just in here. I'm really excited for you to meet them, so be cool, okay? You can be cool, right?"

"Dude." Neptune said, striking a confident pose, his arms crossed cockily and his pearly white teeth gleaming.

"...Good point..." Sun acquiesced.

Seconds later, the two of them strode through the cafeteria doors and into an absolute war-zone, Sun sporting an ear to ear smile while Neptune wore an expression of shock and horror as several of Beacon's students, the future slayers of Grimm and protectors of the world, ran in absolute terror, a cry of "FOOD FIGHT!" ringing out loud and clear. Over it all, a loud, possibly crazed laugh could be heard. Sun looked up over all the chaos to see a fortress of cafeteria tables, a laughing Nora Valkyrie standing atop it. "I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!" she sang.

Sun watched in joy as Ruby Rose planted her boot on a table, holding aloft a carton of milk. "Justice will be swift, justice will be painful!" She retaliated. "It will be delicious!" She screamed, crushing the carton in her hand, her team rallying behind her and giving of a unified battle cry.

"Off with their heads!" Nora decreed, leaping off her fort. She and her team then unleashed a barrage of watermelons toward Team RWBY and, unbeknownst to her, their new guests.

Neptune and Sun watched the fruity projectiles fly towards them, Neptune looking on in shock while Sun still wore that wide smile. Suddenly the two of them were tackled out of the way of the fruit with cries of "Get down!" and _"Sacrebleu!"_

Sun and Neptune were dragged by their rescuers behind a barricade of overturned tables, revealing themselves to be Thatch and Francois, Alison soon joining them. "Hey guys!" Said sun with a cheery wave.

Neptune and Team EMAD winced as a particularly heavy watermelon slammed into the table they were using as cover. Thatch turned to look at Sun. "Do you ever take anything seriously?" He demanded. The renegade then took a glance at the blue haired spearman. "Who's the pop star?"

"Hey!" Said an indignant Neptune.

Sun, still unfazed by the food war going on around him, gestured to his companion. "Oh, this is Neptune, he's my teammate."

"There's no time for introductions." Said Francois, wincing as a baguette sailed over their barricade. "We need to move. Spread out, give them multiple targets."

"First sensible thing you've said all day, noble boy." Said Thatch, Alison nodding from beside him.

Francois chanced a look over their cover, eyes immediately widening. "Scatter!" He cried.

The others didn't need to be told twice, Neptune and Sun following Francois while Thatch and Alison took off in the opposite direction, a flurry of watermelons soon slamming into their makeshift barricade, spraying pink pulp everywhere.

Thatch and Alison soon found themselves behind another overturned table, taking cover as cans of 'People Like Grapes' soda exploded all around them, the blasts spraying purple liquid splattering across the table. The two of them braced themselves against the table, side by side they held it up, each one determined to keep the other safe from the edible assault. Cans of soda flew all about the air, propelled by Pyrrha's semblance of polarity, every so often, one of them would impact the table.

As one, the two turned to face each other, both staring into the eyes of the other as they pressed their backs into the table. That was when they heard something slam into the ground, closely followed by what sounded like a roaring wind. Thatch chanced a glance over the top of the table, looking up just long enough to spot a red blur followed by a whirlwind of food flying right at them. Ducking back down behind their barricade, Thatch immediately threw himself over his teammate, both of them screwing their eyes shut. Thatch could feel food splatter against his back, but he dared not be moved. This was for her.

Then, as soon as it began, the winds subsided. Thatch and Alison both let their eyes fall open, realizing just how they were sitting. Her curled into a ball, and him with his arms around her, shielding her from the winds. Their eyes locked, his brown orbs lost in her green ones, but neither could move from where they sat.

Suddenly, the doors to the cafeteria flew open, slamming against the walls, a low growl heard from the now open doors. Soon after the growl, the cafeteria began to rearrange itself, tables flying about the room to where they originally sat, one of the ones picked up being the one sitting before Alison and Thatch, revealing the position they sat in. As one, their faces turned red and they leapt apart, neither one wanting to meet the face of the other.

"Children, please." Came the un-amused voice of Professor Goodwitch from the open doors. "Do not play with your food."

Sun, Neptune and Francois stood up from where they were taking cover, the Neptune and Francois both covered in food while Sun remained completely unmarked. The monkey turned to his aggravated friend. "I love these guys."

"Enjoying yourselves?" Said a new voice. The students turned as one to the doors where Professor Ozpin entered. "It seems you were." The hunters in training all stammered for an answer, but before any could form a complete thought, Ozpin held up a hand for silence. "I'll let this one slide, but I don't want any more of this in the future, especially with more exchange students arriving every day." There was a collective look of embarrassment shared among the students before each one gave the affirmative. "Well, now that we've sorted out that mess, Team EMAD," The mentioned team all raised their heads as their name was called. "I'd like to speak to the three of you. Come with me." With those words, Ozpin stepped out of the former warzone.

The three shared a glance before following the headmaster, Professor Goodwitch giving both of the boys a stern glare before using her riding crop to remove the bits of food from them. Alison could only give a small smile as she was the only one to not be hit. Something she could thank the badass renegade for.

oxoxoxo

Before long, the two professors and three students arrived at Professor Goodwitch's classroom. Opening the door, the three hunter initiates were met with a most welcome sight.

"Maria!" Alison cried, practically running for her partner. Indeed, standing in Goodwitch's class, finally on her feet, was Maria Gaia. The centurion stood at the front of the class, leg still in a cast and standing with a crutch under her arm, but still standing upright. Maria smiled as her partner embraced her, wrapping her non-crutch holding arm around the artist as she did. The boys followed behind her at a more measured pace, both of them smiling as they watched their teammates reunite. "You're walking again!"

"Not quite." Maria said softly, gesturing down to her injured leg. "My leg is in one piece and the bone has mostly healed, but it'll still be more than a week before I can walk without a crutch, let alone fight and lead you guys."

"Still," Said Thatch, approaching his leader, Alison letting her go as he did. "You're here, and not in the infirmary, so that's something." He said, holding out a hand for her.

Maria took the hand and gave it a firm shake. "You have a point Thatch. It is good to finally be out of there."

"So what will happen now since you can't fight with us?" Francois said.

"That's exactly why I brought you here." Ozpin said, approaching the group. "With Miss Gaia temporarily incapacitated, your team is leaderless in the field, and while she may be able to aid you in your studies, putting her into combat will be a liability rather than an asset."

The entirety of Team EMAD looked at Ozpin, shock in their eyes at his statement. "What are you saying?" Maria asked, voice low. Her team stood protectively in front of her without her urging. It warmed her heart to see that they had forgiven her for what she had done, but in the presence of such a senior huntsman, she was more than a little worried for them.

"Relax, Miss Gaia, you'll be staying with your team." The headmaster said, trying to placate the initiates. "However, I can't just pull you out of combat now. So, starting today, I'm appointing your team a temporary field leader." Ozpin turned to Glynda who nodded and stepped out of the room for a moment.

When the professor returned, she was not alone. Standing behind her was a giant of a boy. He wore a light blue coat with red cuffs, the coat closed with black and grey cross shaped buttons. Below that were a pair of pure white pants, contrasting with his ebony black boots. His face was rugged and serious, his ashy blue eyes staring out from beneath his blonde hair and a curled moustache and slight beard framed his mouth. None of that, however, was his most striking feature. No, the most noticeable aspect of this young man was the massive blade strapped to his back. The sword was nearly as tall as he was, and he stood almost a full head taller than any member of Team EMAD, and it had what appeared to be a barrel running down the center of the blade, clearly another function of the weapon. The boy came to stand beside Ozpin and snapped a quick salute. "Professor Ozpin." He said, his voice deep, crisp and professional.

"At ease." Ozpin replied, his voice calm and level despite the presence of the giant beside him. "This isn't the military, and I'm not your commander."

"Sorry sir." The boy said, standing at ease.

Ozpin merely gave him a nod before turning to the assembled students before him. "Team EMAD, allow me to introduce former lieutenant general Ben Aparte. He's a late entry to Beacon, and unfortunately does not have a team as of yet. Therefore I'm assigning him as your temporary field commander until Miss Gaia fully recovers."

Maria's mouth hung open in shock of Ozpin's audacity. "You're replacing me?" She demanded.

"No, Miss Gaia, I'm merely assigning your team a field leader." Ozpin explained. "Team EMAD is still under your leadership at Beacon, but in the field, Mister Aparte will command them. Once you recover, you will regain full control over your team, and hopefully we will have found a team for him." Ozpin looked at the still stunned faces of the team. "Any other questions?" Silence. "Good. Now, I'll leave you all to make the rest of your introductions."

With those words, Ozpin turned on his heal and stepped out of the class.

Ben waited for the door to close before he turned to his new team. "Alright, listen up." He began. "I'm not sure what Ozpin told you about me, but he allowed me to see all of your records before I came here. Mister Edwards:" He said, turning to the renegade. "I know the kind of, shall we say, activities you have been involved with in the past. I want none of that on my team. Miss Zu:" He said, facing the artist. "I know you've had problems with people in the past. I dearly hope that doesn't become a liability. Mister Delatrois:" Ben now looked into the eyes of the nobleman. "Your upbringing was easy, but that all ends here. You're a soldier on my team now, and I expect you to follow me. And Miss Gaia:" Maria glared at the soldier as he turned to her. "I hope there isn't too much animosity between us during my time on this team." With a nod, Ben faced the entire team. "Dismissed."

With that, Ben turned and walked out of the room, turning at the door to face the team once again. "I understand that this is awkward, but I hope we can make the best of this. I'll see you all in class tomorrow. Don't be late." With those words, Ben walked off.

Team EMAD stared after him, Thatch growling as he left "I never thought I'd meet someone I respect less than noble boy."

"That makes two of us." Francois said, nodding.

"As much as I'd like to agree with the two of you," Maria said "I'd like you to give him a chance. Ozpin's right, I'm no use in combat to the three of you, and he has a lot of experience. I recognize his name; he fought in the Faunus War, served under General Frundsberg."

Maria's team turned to look her in the eye. "How do you know all this?" asked Alison.

Maria gestured to a book sitting on one of the desks. "With nothing to do in the infirmary, I read that whenever I could. It's a detailed account of the strategies of several famous generals throughout history, and one of them was General Erwin Frundsberg, the man that Ben served under. I picked up a lot of strategies while reading, but he actually served under the general himself, maybe he picked something up." Maria looked to her feet as she spoke. "At least give him a chance for now."

Alison stepped up to her partner and put a hand on her shoulder. "It just won't be the same without you leading us."

"I know." Maria replied, looking Alison in the eye, her crimson meeting her jade. "But I won't be out for long. In a week I'll be able to walk again, so I'll be screaming orders at you again before you know it." With those words, the centurion looked out at the slowly rising faces of her team. "Now, how about you take me back to our room. Tonight, I want to sleep in my own bed."

oxoxoxo

**And there we have Chapter One of RWBY: Light Extinguished.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my team of OCs, Team EMAD. RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, and Ben Aparte belongs to DeadAliveManiac.**

**So, Maria makes her return to her team only to find that someone else will take her place in the field. How will Ben Aparte fare as a leader? How will Team EMAD react? You'll have to wait and see to find out.**

**As always, please review and tell me what you think. The more you review, the more motivation I have to write. Even if there are things you don't like, tell me so I can work on that, and if there are things you DO like, then you should especially tell me.**

**Anyway...**

**Next chapter: exchange students from across the kingdoms begin to arrive. One academy hides three infiltrators, while another brings with it shock and awe. In the midst of all this, Team RWBY make plans to investigate Roman Torchwick and the White Fang in Vale.**


	5. Chapter 2: New Arrivals I

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 2**

**oxoxoxo**

Teams RWBY, JNPR and EMAD sat towards the back of Peter Port's class. Despite the day being declared a half day because the bulk of exchange students were arriving today, they still needed to sit through the portly professor's grandiose tales of his own exploits. Maria anxiously watched the clock as the professor droned on and on and on. The day could not end quickly enough for her, none of the next days could, since the sooner they ended, the sooner she got her team back and the sooner she could walk on her own. Her independent spirit did not want to be confined, and every second she wore that cast felt like there was a weight chained to her leg. She hated the feeling of being unable to walk on her own two feet, hated what had gotten her into that state, and most of all, she hated that someone was now doing her job for her. She glared past her other teammates at Ben Aparte who was taking the occasional note on Port's story, having realized that most of what he said was pointless self-aggrandizing. Not only had this boy insulted her teammates upon first meeting them, but apparently didn't trust her to wake them in the morning, barging into their room literally seconds after Maria had given her wakeup call. Upon realizing they were awake, Ben simply gave them a nod and closed the door, standing outside their room until they were ready for class, and then saying they should have been out faster. While she had originally told them to give the giant soldier a chance, she was so close to simply throwing him out herself, asking Ruby to put a sniper rifle in her crutch and leading her team with that.

The only solace she had was that the day had been shortened, so once Port's class was over, she wouldn't have to deal with Ben for the rest of the day and she could spend it with her team seeing what other schools had to offer. And looking at the clock... the class would be over in just a few minutes. Now she just had to avoid following Thatch's example, as the renegade had fallen asleep with his hat over his eyes. Apparently, however, she wasn't the only person to notice this, as their new field leader had also seen Thatch passed out in his seat, and he did not look happy about it. Maria knew what would come next, Ben would nudge Thatch awake, the renegade would shoot him a harsh glare and maybe a grumbled curse. Nothing too out of the ordinary there.

Or, at least, so she thought. Instead of giving Thatch a firm nudge or a shake to wake him up, Ben instead smacked the swordsman upside the head, his strength knocking the dazed initiate right out of his seat. The class went silent as Thatch hit the floor. "Young man!" Port called up. "What has happened?"

Thatch groaned as he stood up, rubbing the back of his head. "Ugh... Sorry sir. I'll have to be a bit more careful next time." He said, getting back into his seat and replacing his hat on his head. "That'll teach me to lean back in my chair..."

Port looked like he was going to say more, but before he could, the signal for the end of class sounded. "Well, my boy, keep that lesson in mind for the next class. You're dismissed for today."

The students rose from their seats and made for the door, Ben almost immediately separating from his team as they exited the class, Thatch glaring burning holes in his back as he walked off. "Have I mentioned that I don't like him?" he grumbled.

"Several times." Francois said in a similar tone. "And for once, _mon ami, _I think I agree with you."

"In his defence," Maria interrupted "You did fall asleep in class again."

"That's not an excuse for trying to knock my lights out!" Thatch shot back.

"He was a bit harsh." Alison piped up.

Maria just sighed. "I never said he did it the right way."

Francois looked about his team, using the first excuse he could think of to defuse the tension that was rising. "So, _meas amis, _many exchange students are arriving today for the tournament, perhaps we should go and have a look, _non?"_

Maria almost instantly saw Francois' plan and nodded. "Come on, guys, I'll be back on my feet by the time the tournament starts, but I think I'd like to see some of these students early."

Agreeing with their leader, Team EMAD followed her as she hobbled out of the school and onto the grounds. Looking to the skies, as they left the building, they saw several airships landing around the grounds of Beacon, hunters of all shapes and sizes disembarking and making their way onto the school grounds. By the symbols on the ships, they were from Vacuo and Mistral, and that put a thought in Maria's head: where were the Atlesian ships? It wasn't like them to be late, especially for an event involving combat. That thought continued to sit at the back of her mind as she made her way onto the grounds with her team and headed for the ships.

oxoxoxo

Violet Lightwood, leader of Team VOAJ, stepped out of the ship from Mistral, the Vale sunlight shining down on her bronzed skin, and her purple hair blowing in the breeze. After being cooped up on that ship for over a day, it was great to be out in the fresh air. "Now this, this is a nice academy." She said as she marvelled over Beacon's architecture. Haven Academy in Mistral might have had charm of its own, but this was... something else.

"Impressed, are we?" Said a voice from behind her. Violet turned to see her teammate, Alex Garnet, following her out of the ship.

Violet had to look up to meet the red eyes of her crimson haired teammate. "You have to admit, it does have a certain charm to it."

"I must admit," said Violet's third teammate, Julius Gold. "This place does certainly catch the eye." The gold suited boy smirked. "It's not like I haven't seen larger buildings either."

"There goes rich boy," Violet said, rolling her eyes. "Complimenting something with one breath and bragging about his family's money with the next."

Julius rolled his brown eyes and swept his golden blonde hair out of his eyes (an action to which his teammates responded with a roll of their eyes). "Would you rather I just deny my family's wealth, oh fearless leader? Perhaps I'd be more relatable to you then."

Alex quickly positioned himself in between Violet and Julius before one could smack the other. That's when he noticed their last teammate. Standing near the door to the airship, staring off into space was the youngest member of their team, his old friend Onyx Blanch. "Onyx, you alright?" Alex called to his old friend.

Onyx, however, didn't appear to hear him, instead, the black haired boy simply continued to stare off into the distance. In truth, Onyx was, in part distantly aware of what Alex was saying, but only just so. However, there was something else on the boy's mind that would not leave, no matter how hard he tried to push it from his mind. Onyx had been both excited for and dreading the day when they would come to Vale, since he knew just who he could find here. This kingdom, this city was the last place that... he... was seen. Half of him wanted nothing more right now than to run into the heart of the city and tear it apart in a search for him, but the other half knew that this would prove fruitless, since as soon as he began his search, he would have moved on to another city. Letting him escape was just not an option Onyx wanted to consider.

The black haired youth was suddenly pulled out of his thoughts by a shake from Alex. "Onyx! Man, you've barely moved since we got here, what's going on?"

Onyx shook his head before looking t his team, their expressions ranging from concerned to confused. "Oh, uh, sorry guys, just thinking about something."

"Don't let it distract you too much." Violet replied. "Remember, we have a tournament to win here."

"Yes ma'am!" Onyx said, snapping a quick salute.

Violet rolled her eyes. "Come on guys, he's fine." With that, the purple haired girl led her team onto the grounds of Beacon. "So, who's up for checking out the competition?"

Julius shrugged. "Might as well have a look at who we're going to mop the floor with."

"Don't get too cocky, Julius." Alex said. "Remember what happened the last time yout hought you'd 'mop the floor' with someone?"

Julius' face flashed the colour of Alex's hair for a second. "That was different!" The young heir insisted. "How was I supposed to know that guy's lance was a rifle?"

"The fact that the lance head came off to reveal a barrel?" Violet chimed in.

"Or the trigger that popped out of the shaft a second later?" Onyx added.

Julius opened his mouth to respond, but Alex beat him to it. "My point exactly."

The gold garbed boy just grumbled something under his breath, rolling his eyes as he did. That was when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. "Wait a minute..." He muttered, just loud enough for his team to hear.

"What's up?" Onyx asked his partner. He followed the gentleman's eyes to where he was looking. It was a team of hunters walking out of the entrance to the school. A black haired girl in red robes with a streak of green in her hair, a boy in a long black coat and a tricorne hat, a girl in segmented steel armour walking with a crutch, and a boy in extravagant wide brimmed hat and a blue tabard. "Who are they?"

"Not sure about some of them, but the one in blue, he looks familiar." Julius muttered.

Violet took a look in the same direction and smirked deviously to herself. "So you think you know him then?" Julius nodded and muttered in affirmative. Violet's grin then split her face. "Well, let's go find out, shall we?" Before Julius could voice any kind of negative, Violet was already dragging him toward the team of hunters, calling out to them in a sing-song voice. "Hello~!"

The team turned to look at her, the blue garbed boy seeing the boy she was dragging. _"Un moment, _do I know you?" he asked.

Julius looked up from his captor at that voice. "I'd know that accent anywhere. Francois, is that you?"

"Julius? Julius Gold?" Francois said, squinting at the heir. _"Mon dieu, _it is you. How are you _mon ami?"_

Thatch looked between the two and rolled his eyes. "Great, another one..." he muttered to Alison.

"Well, if my team leader will let go of me," Julius growled, tearing his arm free from Violet's clutches. "perhaps we can catch up."

Francois smiled at his old friend before looking behind him at his team. "Perhaps some introductions are in order?"

"Only if you'll offer me the same courtesy." Julius responded.

"_Vraiment," _Francois responded, gesturing to his team. "These are my teammates, Alison Zu, Thatch Edwards and my leader Maria Gaia. _Mes Amis, _this is my old friend from Mistral Julius Gold. At the mention of his name, Julius gave a slight bow.

"Seems like you've done well for yourself." Julius said eyeing Francois' teammates. "Which one's your partner."

Francois gestured over his shoulder at Thatch. "That would be him."

The Gold heir looked from Francois to the renegade and back. "Seems your standards have fallen a bit."

Thatch's eyes narrowed, but Francois stood between him and the heir before anything could happen. "Perhaps you could introduce your team now?"

"Of course." Julius replied, turning to his teammates. "Meet my leader Violet Lightwood, Alex Garnett and my partner Onyx Blanch."

Francois looked from the slightly diminutive form of Onyx and back to his old friend. "I think I'll be the bigger person here."

Violet stepped up to Maria and held out a hand. "You're the leader of this team, right?" she asked.

Maria took her hand and gave it a firm shake. "That's right, Violet, right?"

"That's right. Hey, you guys know this place pretty well, right? Maybe you can show us around." Violet asked.

Maria shrugged. "Sure, long as you guys can keep up." She said, gesturing to her injured leg.

"Ha!" Violet laughed. "I think I'm gonna like you. Come on guys."

With that, Team VOAJ followed Team EMAD into the ornate halls of Beacon academy.

oxoxoxo

Not one mistake could be made.

Her enemies were abundant, each one likely plotting her downfall this very second. They would need to be dealt with, but she could only do so much at a time. They would need to be defeated one by one until all fell before her. The only question now was, which won would she crush first.

Ruby considered this as she looked past her hand of cards at the rest of her teammates, all of them seated around a library table, a game board, nay, a battle map, the resting in between them. Weiss looked confused as she tried to understand just what she could do with what she had. Across from her, Yang sat confidently, that permanent smile plastered on her face. Finally, there was Blake... she looked Blake-y, as always. Looking back to her sister, Ruby knew who her first target was. "Yang Xiao Long, prepare your kingdom for battle!"

"Bring it on!" Yang cried.

"I deploy The Atlesian Air Fleet!" Ruby declared. Yang gasped in surprise. "Looks like I get to fly right over your Ursae and attack your walls directly!" The reaper said, mock airship sounds following her declaration.

Yang gasped in shock. "You fiend!" she said, an accusing finger pointing right at her sister.

"And since Atlas is part of Mantle," Ruby explained, head partially under the table, eyes just resting above it. "My repair time only lasts one turn."

Yang chortled, Ruby's confident grin faltering. "Pretty sneaky sis," Yang chuckled. "But you just activated my trap card! Giant Nevermore!" Yang declared, revealing the card in her hand. Ruby squeaked in shock. "If I roll a seven or higher, fatal feathers will slice your fleet in two!"

"But, if you roll a six or lower, the Nevermore will turn on your own forces!" Ruby retaliated.

"That's just a chance I'm willing to take." Yang muttered darkly. Her sister still thought this was just a game...

The sounds of Ruby's sorrow at Yang's die roll could be heard across the library, but one team, Team JNPR, was able to block them out, despite the fact that they sat at the table right next to them.

However, another group entering the library was immediately drawn to the sounds of what appeared to be a battle of the ages, although most were rather unsurprised to find that it was just Team RWBY being Team RWBY. That group was Thatch and Alison who were showing the newly arrived Onyx Blanch the Beacon Library. Needless to say, the transfer student was more than a little surprised. "Do they do this all the time?" He asked his guides.

"This specifically, no." Thatch replied. "Make a big deal out of everything under the sun? That's them in a nutshell. Want to meet them?"

Onyx looked to the team where one of the girls, this one dressed in white, rose from her seat, giving an evil laugh as she did. She proceeded to give a megalomaniacal speech about how her legions would march across the world conquering all in their path and taking children from their parents very arms... Then proceeded to sit down in tears when the busty blonde next to her activated a trap card. "Maybe later... I think I'm going to have a look at some of the books in this place."

"Go ahead." Said Thatch. "We'll be right here if you need anything. Just follow the noise."

Onyx nodded and walked off as Alison and Thatch walked over to Team RWBY just in time for Ruby to leap into her partner's arms and be embraced as both shed tears over their lost forces. "Huh, I guess noble boy might have been right..." Thatch muttered.

Alison looked at him quizzically. "Right about what?" she asked.

"Never mind." The renegade muttered to her.

Onyx barely heard them and ignored them completely as he made his way through the shelves of Beacon's library. Once he was securely out of sight of anyone else (a feat that was made much easier by people being driven off by that team being as loud as they were) he pulled out a small, folded piece of paper from his pocket. During his last encounter with the man he currently hunted, he had dropped this paper, and one of the lines therein mentioned something called "The Abyss." Since then, Onyx had searched tirelessly for some mention of the term, but no mention of it could be found at the library of Mistral's Haven Academy.

Onyx knew that before he got on the man's trail he was last seen in Vale, so maybe he could find something on "The Abyss" here. Onyx discretely sat down at a solitary library computer and searched the Vale library database for any mention of it. He unfolded the page and read over it to himself, but the words still didn't make sense to him. All he could gather was that The Abyss was some location around the Kingdom of Vale and that the man he hunted was doing some sort of work there, though what he did was merely listed as "work" on the page. Knowing that it was some place in Vale however, Onyx had immediately found a map of said kingdom and scoured the chart for any mention of it. His search came up completely empty. His next search was at the library of Haven and the Royal Library of Mistral. Again, nothing. When Onyx found out his team would be in Vale for the Vytal Festival, he knew this would be his best chance at finding information on the illusive location. And that brought him to the screen of his computer. There was a single result.

Immediately, Onyx clicked it, his face instantly falling when it opened. Everything was blank. There was no title, no author, no publisher, not even a description. Desperate for some kind of information, anything at all, Onyx looked at where the book currently was. His heart fell once again when he saw that someone had already taken the book out. The listed name of the borrower was "Professor E. Fantine."

"A professor?" Onyx muttered to himself. He knew he had some classes with the Beacon students tomorrow, but it was unknown whether or not this Professor Fantine was one of his instructors. After all, would be the member of their team to receive the schedule.

The black haired youth sighed to himself before folding up the page and placing it back in his pocket. He had waited a year for some answers, looks like he would have to wait another day before he really got them.

Onyx rose from his chair and tried to look on the bright side. He was close now, closer than he had ever been before. Now all he had to do was track down this professor and ask if he could borrow the book. He put a small smile on his face as he returned to his guides. When he arrived, he noticed Thatch and Alison were alone this time, the loud team from earlier having left. The only thing out of the ordinary was that a long box sat on the table that his guides currently sat at. "Miss me you two?" He asked, approaching them.

"Terribly." The renegade said, rolling his eyes and rising to his feet.

"We were about to send out a search party." Alison added.

Thatch looked like he was about to say something when he suddenly turned to his teammate in mock shock. "Did you just make a joke?" Alison hid a blush behind her hand. "You've been around me for too long." Thatch muttered, genuinely impressed.

"Ahem." Onyx said, clearing his throat and getting the attention of the two Beacon students. "If you two are done flirting, it's getting a bit late." Onyx said, gesturing to the slowly fading light from the large library windows. "Don't exchange students have their own separate dorm?"

Thatch was about to answer, when the sound of massive engines caught the ears of all in the library. Curious as to the source of the noise, the three students moved to one of the large windows of the library. Their question was almost immediately answered as three massive dreadnaughts pulled in for a landing on Beacon's grounds, several gunships and fighters flying overhead. Emblazoned on every ship was the image of a stylized spear. It was the mark of Atlas.

oxoxoxo

General James Ironwood stood at the pristine, white bridge of his personal dreadnought, _The Ironclad, _as it pulled in for a landing at Beacon Academy. Looking out the windows on either side of the bridge, he could see the two other ships he brought with him doing the same. Some might say he was 'bringing his work with him,' but being the head of a military and an academy at the same time left little time for not doing so.

"General Ironwood." His communications officer said, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Incoming transmission from _The Rubicon._"

Ironwood knew exactly what this meant. The ship to his left was the dreadnought _Rubicon, _a ship commanded by one of the youngest and most impressive captains in the Atlesian Military. "On screen." He commanded.

At his word, a large monitor descended from the ceiling of the bridge, the screen displaying static for a moment before an image formed. On the other end was a young woman, her ivory face a mask of seriousness, brown hair cropped short and burning red eyes only serving to make her look even more the part of the military woman she was. _"General Ironwood."_ She said, snapping a salute.

"At ease, Captain." Ironwood responded.

The girl nodded. _"Sir, our ships have safely landed and are now docked with Beacon."_ She said, her tone crisp and to the point.

"Excellent." The white suited general said. "I have a meeting with Beacon's headmaster soon, if you wish, you can join me."

"_With all due respect, sir, I will have to pass." _The woman said. _"There is someone I wish to see while I'm here."_

"Very well." Ironwood said. "I'll see you after my meeting."

The girl snapped another salute. "Thank you sir."

Ironwood nodded. "Dismissed, Captain." The girl nodded and her image faded from the rising screen. The general shook his head slightly. He knew who she was here for, and it was personal. He just hoped his discussion with Ozpin went better than her talk with who she was here for.

oxoxoxo

"I know Atlas is the most militarized kingdom on Remnant," Alison said, as she and Thatch walked back to their dorm. "But was it really necessary to bring their entire fleet?" The two of them had dropped off Onyx at the exchange student's dorm and had only one more stop to make before they went back to theirs: Team RWBY had left their board game in the library, and the two of them decide they would return it.

"Something tells me it wasn't just Ruby's bad board game tactics." Said Thatch. "I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

"I hope so." The artist replied. "Anyway, Team RWBY's dorm is just around the corner, right?"

The renegade nodded and pointed to a door marked 'RWBY.' All doors in Beacon were marked by both number and team name. The two of them approached the door and Alison was about to knock when they heard voices from inside, the first one being Ruby herself. "All in favour of becoming the youngest huntresses to single-handedly bring down a corrupt organization conspiring against the kingdom of Vale... say 'aye.'"

Ignoring the responses from Ruby's teammates, Thatch and Alison shared a glance. Based on Francois' report from the docks, they knew RWBY had their eyes locked on the White Fang and the crime lord Roman Torchwick. Seems like they planned to go after them. Thatch grinned at his teammate, and surprisingly enough, she returned it, albeit smaller. The renegade reached out to knock on the door again, when suddenly the door flew open and a red blur slammed into him, sending both to the ground. Alison just watched from beside him, mouth hanging open in shock.

Ruby groaned as she got up, only to realize she was currently pinning Thatch to the ground. She yelped. "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" She squeaked.

"Let's just pretend this never happened." Said Thatch. "I brought your board game, by the way."

Ruby leapt off of the downed renegade and grabbed the box. "Oh, thanks!"

"Are we interrupting something?" said a new voice, this one soft and sensual. Ruby, Thatch and Alison all turned to see the source, a girl in a school uniform of some kind, a black jacket with a white armband on the left arm and a black and grey plaid skirt. She had a thin face with raised cheekbones and fiery orange eyes, one of which was covered by her long, black hair.

"No no no..." Ruby stammered. "Just a little... mistake...Are you new?"

"Visiting from Haven, actually." The girl said, two other teens in matching uniforms, one a boy with spiky silver hair and dark eyes, and the other a girl with bright green hair, coffee brown skin and deep, red eyes. The two groups of three stared at each other for some time, Ruby and the lead girl's eyes never breaking contact.

Finally, the reaper broke the silence. "Ooh, you're here for the festival. Oh! But exchange students have their own dormitory."

"I guess we just got turned around." The silver haired boy said.

"It's just to the east of here." Thatch said in a low voice, glaring into the other boy's eyes.

The lead girl noticed this quickly. "Is there a problem?"

"Oh no, don't worry about it." Ruby said, gesturing to where the exchange student dorms were. "Welcome to Beacon." She said brightly as the group walked off. When they had rounded the corner away, Ruby turned back to Thatch and Alison. "Uh, thanks for the game, by the way."

Thatch pried his narrowed eyes away from where the other students had gone. "No problem." He said, shrugging at her. "By the way, what was all that about bringing down a corrupt organization?"

Ruby clamped a hand over her mouth. "You heard that?" a simultaneous nod from the two confirmed it. "Um..."

"We want in." Thatch said simply.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"What about the rest of your team?" Ruby asked. "What would Maria say?"

"_I don't think she'll have a problem." _Ruby turned to the source of the voice to see that, in all the confusion with the other group, Alison had quietly started up her scroll and called Maria using a video call. _"Team EMAD is at your service Ruby."_

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked tentatively. "We don't want to involve too many friends in this."

"_Well, you can leave me out of it." _Maria replied. _"I won't be too much use on my one usable leg."_

"Well, if you're sure..." Ruby said. A nod from the three members of Team EMAD confirmed what she asked. "Alright, I'll let my team know you're joining us."

"_Just one request:" _said Maria. _"No one tell Ben. The last thing we need is him stopping you."_

Ruby flashed a quick salute at the centurion. "Consider it done. Thanks Maria."

Maria nodded and hung up her scroll. Alison placed the communicator back in her uniform pocket and turned to the young reaper. "So I guess we're joining you now."

The younger girl just nodded to her new quiet companion. "Now the two of you just need to convince Francois."

Thatch scoffed at her words. "Convince noble boy? Shouldn't be too hard."

oxoxoxo

Once Team EMAD had reconvened in their room, each with some story to tell about what they did that day with the members of Team VOAJ, Thatch and Alison explained to him how they had joined up with Team RWBY for an 'extracurricular' mission.

"Let me get this straight:" The nobleman began, standing across from Thatch. "You want me to join you and hunt down the man who eluded my capture at the docks of Vale accompanied by a team of beautiful women?"

"Don't let Velvet hear you say that, but yeah that's about it." Thatch confirmed.

Francois thought for a moment, scratching his chin for effect. "Very well, _mon ami._"

"Excellent." Said Maria as she sat on her bed, much easier than standing right now. "Team RWBY said they'd let us know when they need us tomorrow."

Alison took a seat next to her leader and partner. "Did they tell you what they have planned?"

"They said, and I quite," Maria said, pulling out her scroll and bringing up the message from team RWBY. "Ahem... 'We'll just wing it and hope for the best."

Thatch applied palm to face and sighed. "God dammit Yang..." He muttered.

Alison gave a sigh of her own, shaking her head at the brawler's message. "At least they're being honest."

"Let's just get off this topic." Francois sighed.

"It must have been nice to see your old friend again." the artist obligingly said.

"It was nice to see Julius again." Francois said. "I'm sort of surprised he chose to become a huntsman though."

"I'm sure we all have stories of spending time with that new team." Maria said, grabbing her crutch and rising to her feet. "But for now, it's getting late so we should probably call it a night. We get the bathroom first tonight."

No arguments came from her team as they all rose to their feet. They knew they'd be getting wakeup calls from both Maria and Ben tomorrow morning, so it was best to get a fairly early night, something they all agreed on. What they didn't expect, however, was the knock at their door right as they all got up. Not one of them moved, the team just stared at each other, a single thought running through all their minds at once: who on earth is that at this hour?

The knock sounded again, and Maria nodded at Thatch to answer the door. Curious as to just who was on the other side, the swordsman made his way over to the door and turned the handle. Just as he did however, the door was pulled open with enough force to almost fling the renegade into the hall, only not doing so because he let go of the doorknob just in time.

No one expected a visitor at this hour, but Maria's face bore a look of horror at the sight of their new guest. Standing in their doorway, standing just shorter than the boys, but still managing to look down on them, was a woman with dark brown hair cropped short and blood red eyes that glared at everyone they saw. She was dressed in a chainmail hauberk with ceremonial bronze medals hanging off the rings, below that was a red skirt that reached down to her knees and a pair of fine leather boots with metal plating and tips. Completing her image was a long, red cape flowing down her back all the way to the floor, and a red-crested galea helm tucked under her arm. The new arrival pushed past Thatch and into the dorm room until she stood right before their leader. The woman glared down at her. "Hello Maria."

The centurion in question gaped at the sight of her and tried to stammer an answer. "J-Julia?"

The woman, now identified as Julia, didn't break her glare as she looked down at the team leader. "What's wrong? Not happy to see your sister?"

oxoxoxo

**And there we have chapter 2**

**Remember how I said last time around that Maria had a sister she didn't like? Well, ladies and gentlemen, introducing Julia Gaia, a respected general in the Atlesian Military. We'll be seeing more of her as the story goes on.**

**As for Team VOAJ, they are owned by Madninja324, an author with quite an impressive list of teams under his belt. Check out his stories if you have the chance.**


	6. Chapter 3: New Arrivals II

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 3**

**oxoxoxo**

Team EMAD could only look in shock between their leader and the woman who had just barged into their room. All three were clearly trying to come up with something to say, but Maria was the one who broke the silence. "What... What are you doing here?" she stammered.

Julia rolled her eyes at her sister's words. "And here I thought you might be glad to see your family."

"Glad to see you?" Maria blurted. "You and dad didn't exactly leave me on a pleasant note!"

"Because you abandoned your family, Maria!"

"Ahem!"

Both sisters turned to see it was Alison who had spoken. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Julia looked from Alison to Maria and back. "You never even told them about me?"

"I did mention I had a sister." Maria replied.

Julia pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. When she looked back up, there was more than a hint of annoyance in her eyes. "Lieutenant General Julia Gaia of the Atlas Armed Forces. You must be Maria's subordinates."

"My team." Maria corrected.

"I'm sorry?" Julia replied.

"I said they're my team. I might lead them, but they don't just unquestioningly follow." Maria said.

"And just look where that got you." Said Julia, pointing out her sister's injured leg.

Maria was flabbergasted, stunned into silence as she tried to come up with a response. "You blame my team for my injury?"

"Just as a team's failings can be laid at the feet of its leader, a leader's failings can also be blamed on her team." Said the general.

"You think they did this to me?" Maria blurted out in shock.

"Just who do you think you are?" Thatch demanded, putting himself between Julia and Maria.

Bad idea. Julia barely acknowledged his presence, instead shoving the renegade to the floor and marching right up to Maria. "Control your subordinates, sister. Don't let them control you."

"They follow me with the utmost loyalty, dearest sister." Maria spat back. "They stood up to you for me, didn't they?"

"But they also allowed that to happen to you." Julia rebutted, gesturing to Maria's still healing leg. Maria merely snarled at her sister at that comment. "You should have just listened to dad, Maria. Now look where you are." The lieutenant shook her head before turning back to the door. "I came here with General Ironwood to see just what happened to you here, and I must say, I'm not impressed." With that, Julia strode out the door and slammed it behind her.

Alison was the first to Maria's side when the door shut. "Are you okay?"

Maria was still seething in rage, but managed to put most of it aside for a venom filled "I'm fine." To her partner.

"You did mention you had a sister before." Thatch grumbled as he rose from the ground.

"And I meant it when I said I hated her..." the centurion growled. "Now you see why."

"It is times like this that I'm glad my brother and I get along well." Francois muttered.

"What happened between the two of you?" Alison enquired, approaching her partner slowly, still wary of her anger.

Maria let out a sigh and turned to look each of her teammates in the eye, one by one. "I'd really rather not talk about it right now. Can I tell you later?" Her teammates shared a glance for what felt like an hour, but soon turned to her and gave a collective nod, making Maria sigh again in relief. "Thank you."

The rest of the night was spent in silence, not a word spoken from any of the hunters as they settled in to sleep that night, none of them quite lying still.

oxoxoxo

The next morning, after another dual wakeup call from both Maria and Ben, Team EMAD sat in the classroom of Professor Curtis Marlow, other teams filing in one by one and taking their seats as they waited for the red coated professor to arrive. Team VOAJ was among those exchange students who were joining this class, and when they entered, Maria beckoned them to join them, something the Mistral team gladly did, Violet taking her seat next to Maria. Onyx took his seat at the far end of his team, Alex on one side, but no seat on the other. Grasped in his hand was a slip of paper detailing their classes while at Beacon, and one of the classes he couldn't take his eyes off was Grimm Studies with Professor E Fantine. Just the professor he was looking for.

Onyx's concentration was broken, however, when an entire chattering class was suddenly silent. The black haired brawler looked up to the front of the class to see a man dressed in a black suit and cape enter the room, a bone white mask covering half of his face. "Good morning, students." He said in an oily voice. "For those of you who have joined us from outside of Beacon, allow me to introduce myself. I am Professor Erik Fantine, and some of you will be taking classes with me later on."

Hands immediately went up from across the classroom, Fantine pointing out one girl from the front row, a girl in Beacon's uniform with a red hooded cape fastened to her shoulders. "Professor Fantine, where's Professor Marlow? He isn't usually late for class, is something wrong?"

Fantine sighed and looked down, regret flashing across his features for a moment before he looked back up. "That's what I was getting to, Miss Rose. Unfortunately, Professor Marlow will not be returning to Beacon this semester. I know many of you are surprised and wondering where he has gone, but that is not my question to answer. Many of you are also likely wondering if I will be taking his place as World Cultures professor. To you I can answer, that no, I am not. We've brought in someone new for that." With those words, Fantine gestured to the door to the classroom where a woman stepped in.

She was tall and thin, a long sleeved, floor length black dress covering her body, and a black, feathered cape running down the length of her back. Her face was intimidating, yet elegant in its own way, high cheekbones but a mouth that looked like it never smiled, and a pair of green eyes that looked coldly over the class and a long head of black hair that reached the nape of her neck. "Children," Fantine resumed "This is professor Elaine Ravencroft. She will be taking professor Marlow's place. Treat her as you would treat me, after all, she is a member of my team."

"Thank you, Erik." Ravencroft said, looking to Erik, her expression still perfectly neutral. The phantom nodded and walked out. Ravencroft looked over her class. "Now some of you may not be pleased with me taking Professor Marlow's place, but I assure you I am perfectly capable. I've been to all four kingdoms in my time as a huntress, and I've learned much from each one, enough to properly instruct all of you on their cultures and values. Now, shall we begin." Not a word was spoken from the class. "Good."

As Ravencroft continued to speak, students took notes on what she said. One, however, didn't write a thing. Ben Aparte simply looked down to the new professor, desperately wracking his brain to try and recall who she was. He knew he had either seen her before or at least heard her voice somewhere. There could be no confusing her cold, uncaring voice for anyone else, but he had no idea who she was. He would have to find out after class.

Meanwhile, in another part of the class, another student was wondering something completely different. Jaune Arc could not help but wonder what had happened to Professor Marlow. The man had admitted to being on his father's team, but he had so many more questions he needed to ask him, especially now that his place at Beacon had been finalized. He wanted to know more about his father and the adventures he had as a hunter. He knew his father was a hero, but that wasn't enough for him, and now the last man to serve with him seemed to be out of his reach.

oxoxoxo

The office of Curtis Marlow had been untouched ever since he had left. It should have been cleared out. After all, the professor who formerly resided there was now gone, and it would eventually need to be used again, so why hadn't it been even opened?

The simple reason was that after what Marlow had gone through, no one had the heart to disturb what had once been his, choosing instead to leave it be as it was. Today, however, that would all change.

Erik Fantine stood outside the door to the office, a set of keys Marlow had given him clutched in one hand. Even he was hesitant about what he was about to do, even after Marlow himself had asked him to, the man reduced to a shell of his former self by the events leading to his arrest. The man had asked him one seemingly simple task, but even beginning it took what felt like an eternity.

It was with one final, deep breath that the phantom strode toward the door and with one hand turned the knob and pulled it open.

Marlow's office was dark, the lights having been off since he left, and when Fantine flicked the light switch, the first thing he noticed was the fine layer of dust that coated everything in the room. The red walls and the Grimm heads and weapons adorning them were coated with dust, as was Marlow's desk, and, as promised, the ring of keys sitting on the desk. Erik curiously approached and picked up the ring of keys. As his former colleague had promised, one had been singled out on its own separate ring, clearly differentiated from the rest.

The phantom took the key and knelt down to the bottom drawer of Marlow's desk. As he inserted the key into the lock, he paused, wondering just what was in the drawer. All Marlow had said was that it was "Jaune's Inheritance." That could mean anything from a previously unread will to money the boy was supposed to receive. Erik sighed at his former colleague's mysterious nature as he turned the key in the lock and pulled open the drawer, ready for anything.

What he found was certainly not what he had expected. Lying in the drawer were two objects. The first, an envelope marked _Jaune Arc, _and the second... it was something else, the light it emitted shining out from its compartment as though it were positively ecstatic to be free as it illuminated the entire dusty room. No matter how bright the light, however, all Erik could do was stare at it in wonder. Marlow kept this a secret for so long. Why?

Perhaps the answers were in Marlow's letter. Thinking he might find an explanation there, Fantine pulled the letter out of the drawer and held it up to his face. He reached out to open it, but before he could, the thought of what he was about to do flashed through him. This was another man's inheritance. In good conscience, he couldn't possibly open this letter and read it before Jaune did. Resolving not to open the envelope, Erik instead placed the letter back next to the other object.

The phantom sighed. He should probably go, there was another class he had to teach today and he could scarcely do it from here. For some reason, however, he just couldn't move from where he sat. It was odd. He'd never had any problems with sentiment before now, what was it about this particular moment that made him not want to move? It just seemed as though there were an aura of confidence and power emerging from the drawer that just put him in awe. It made him think, just how long had Marlow been keeping this a secret? Since Ognoc? And why?

These questions running through his mind, Fantine was just unable to look away from the drawer's contents.

"And here I thought no one went in here anymore."

Fantine's head shot up from the drawer as he slammed it shut. Standing in the door to the office, the fading light of the evening shining behind him, was Professor Ozpin.

"Ozpin, sir, I didn't hear you approach." Fantine stammered. "Is something the matter?"

"You could say that." Ozpin replied. "It's rather odd that one of my teachers, one who has never missed a day of work in his entire career, would suddenly vanish without a trace for the entire day."

"What do you mean, the entire day?" Fantine asked, genuinely confused. "I've only been here for a few minutes."

"Really now?" Ozpin asked, giving the phantom a sceptical look. "Because it's currently four o'clock, and no one has seen you since this morning when you introduced Miss Ravencroft to her new class."

The full weight of what the headmaster said hit Fantine like a sack of bricks. He had spent hours kneeling before Marlow's desk, looking over Jaune's inheritance while the day went on and he didn't even realize it. He looked up at Ozpin and back down at the drawer's content's, the headmaster following his eyes, intrigued. "What is that in there?"

Fantine was about to respond when Ozpin approached, not even waiting for the phantom to speak. The green clad headmaster's eyes widened as he looked at the drawer's contents. "Is this what I think it is?"

Fantine sighed. "Yes sir. Evidently, Curtis kept it all these years."

Ozpin nodded grimly. "What will we do with it?"

Erik closed his eyes and shut the drawer before rising to his feet to join Ozpin. "Curtis asked me to give it to Jaune. He called me from the penitentiary and told me it was his inheritance, and that he deserved to have it. He wants me to give it to Jaune on the anniversary of his father's death, in just a few days."

"I see." Ozpin said, looking form the now closed drawer to his colleague. "What will you do?"

"Give it to him, of course." Fantine replied. "Marlow was right, he deserves it."

"Good." The headmaster said, placing a hand on Fantine's shoulder. "Whatever Curtis may have done recently, this is something he has chosen to do right."

"Thank you sir." Fantine said, nodding to Ozpin.

"And now that we've established what you were doing today, there's something I need to ask of you." Ozpin said, gesturing toward the door. The two of them walked out of Marlow's office as Ozpin continued. "After Miss Ravencroft's class, one of the exchange students asked for you. Elaine directed him to me, and I told him to wait outside your office while I fetched you. He didn't however, tell me what he wanted to talk to you about, I thought you might know. Does the name 'Onyx Blanch' mean anything to you?"

Fantine was silent as he thought about it. "The last name sounds a little familiar, but I've never met this boy before."

"Strange." Ozpin muttered. "He was quite insistent on seeing you, specifically."

The two soon reached the door to Fantine's office, where Onyx was waiting. Looked over the black haired youth, the phantom tried to identify just where he knew him from, but failed to recognize him in the least. Although, there was something familiar in those blue eyes of his...

"Mister Blanch," said Ozpin, gesturing to Fantine. "This is Professor Erik Fantine, I believe you wanted to see him?"

"Yes sir." Said Onyx.

"Might I ask why you asked for me?" Erik enquired. "Very few students wish to see me while _in _class, let alone after."

"And you already missed you class with him, Erik." Ozpin quipped.

"Thank you for the reminder, sir." Fantine muttered. "The question still stands, boy. What is it you require?"

"I'd like to ask you about a book that I heard you had." Onyx said.

"Really now?" said Fantine "And just what book is that? Are you a fan of the dramatic arts? Or perhaps trying to learn a little more about certain species of Grimm?"

"Uh, no sir, neither of those." The boy said, somewhat awkwardly.

"Then what is it, may I ask?"

Onyx took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm looking for information on something called 'The Abyss.'"

"Where did you hear that name?" Fantine demanded, the immediate area suddenly growing colder.

"I-I just heard it somewhere and was told you had a book on it" Onyx stammered "Why, what is it?"

"Tell me where you heard that name, right now." Erik demanded, the halls of Beacon growing darker as well as colder, Onyx and Ozpin able to see their frozen breath as an icy, blue light began to fill the area.

"I just heard it-"

"Where?!" Erik demanded, his voice echoing across the hallway.

"A-a man I was hunting dropped a paper that mentioned it." The boy blurted.

Fantine was silent as the hall slowly returned to normal, light and heat gradually returning. Erik turned and gave a grim look to Ozpin, who simply gave a nod and stepped in front of him, pushing the phantom aside with a gentle hand. "Young man, what do you know about this man you were hunting?"

Onyx hesitated before responding. "Nothing, sir. He's just a criminal I was tasked to hunt down. When he dropped the note, I thought it might help me track him down."

"Listen to me and listen well, boy. What I'm about to tell you will save you a great deal of trouble, as well as your life." Fantine said. "Walk away, right now. Abandon this search, and forget you ever heard of the Abyss. It will only end badly if you continue."

"But sir, I-"

"Now, boy. Leave."

Onyx looked like he might say more, but the look in Fantine's eyes told him that might be a bad idea. The two professors watched as the youth backed away slowly, before turning to walk off. Once they were sure he was out of earshot, Fantine turned to Ozpin. "How did he know about my book?"

"There must have been a record of when you took it off the shelves of the library when the Council banned all books on The Abyss." Ozpin said.

"I thought I erased that."

"Evidently it didn't work. We'll ensure it does now."

"What about the man he said he was hunting?" said Fantine "If someone is working in that hellhole, they might be trouble."

Ozpin seemed to consider this, staying completely silent as he leaned on his cane. "We may need to lead an expedition."

"If so, sir," Erik replied. "Allow me to lead it. You already know my qualifications."

"This is true, Erik." Ozpin mused. "I will consider it. Should the expedition be proven necessary, I will turn its command over to you."

Erik gave a slight bow. "Thank you sir."

"Do not thank me, Erik." Ozpin said "We both know I may have just condemned you to death."

oxoxoxo

Class had ended, meaning Teams RWBY and EMAD had an investigation to begin. Team RWBY had assembled in their dorm room, each one donning a less conspicuous outfit than their usual hunter garb. Ruby wore a red skirt and grey long sleeved shirt with a black corset and her trademark red cape, a pair of black stockings and her usual red boots on her legs. Weiss had chosen a white and black businesslike dress and jacket and a pair of long, white boots up to her knees. Blake went with a pair of black skinny jeans and a white buttonup shirt with a bare midriff. Yang, finally, apparently not understanding the meaning of the word inconspicuous, had chosen a black and white skin tight suit and black boots. When Weiss had told her it was a bad idea, Yang had merely responded with 'relax, I know what I'm doing.'

The girls were about to begin finalizing their plans for the evening, when a knock at the door signalled that their guests had rushed over to the door and hauled it open, revealing the uninjured members of Team EMAD behind it. "Hey guys!" The young reaper exclaimed. "You ready for tonight?"

"Ruby!" Weiss hissed. "It's not a secret mission of the whole school hears about it!"

"Oh! Sorry..." Ruby muttered, inviting the other team in. "But seriously," she said, closing the door behind them. "Are you guys ready?"

"What?" asked Thatch, gesturing to himself and his teammates. "We don't look ready to you?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, he's right." Said Francois. "We've all got our weapons on us, and as much extra ammunition as we can carry without arousing suspicion, and if my lapel camera and Alison's necklace camera are working, then Maria can see all of this on her scroll right now."

"_It's still working, Francois." _Came Maria's voice from the speakers on the nobleman's lapel. _"Once you leave Beacon, we'll switch from the speakers to the earpieces."_

"Are you guys sure you want to join us?" Blake asked. "This is more than a little risky."

"Believe me," said Alison "We're ready for this."

"Well, they might be," said Yang, gesturing to Thatch and Francois "But I don't think you are."

"What do you mean?" Asked Alison.

"Look at yourself, you're still in your combat robes and your Zhua sticks out like a sore thumb." Yang pointed out.

Alison didn't say anything. She merely smirked and hit her staff twice against the ground. The claw end instantly retracted and the shaft collapsed telescopically until the artist was holding a simple black sphere.

"Okay, that's something," Yang acquiesced "But there's still the matter of your outfit."

As much as Alison hated to admit it, Yang was right. Thatch and Francois had both changed. The nobleman wore a long, blue coat, buttoned up at the front, his metal breastplate hidden beneath it, his sword buckled to his waist, and his usual wide brimmed hat swapped out for a fedora. The renegade, on the other hand, wore a more formal looking trenchcoat instead of his usual greatcoat. His swords were fastened to his waist and his trademark hat was left in their dorm.

"Come on, I have just the thing." Yang said, dragging Alison to the team's bathroom.

"_Wait," _came Maria's voice_ "Turn off my camera before you do that!"_

"Oops, sorry." Said Yang, taking off Alison's necklace camera and throwing it to Thatch, the renegade catching it and muttering something about Yang overreacting.

It didn't take long for Yang to emerge with Alison, and when she did, Thatch's former complaint died in his throat. The artist was dressed in a green version of the outfit Ruby wore, with a slightly longer green skirt, a grey shirt black corset and a longer, green version of Ruby's skirt that covered her down just past her knees. She looked a little nervous, but the looks form her friends and teammates seemed to quell those nerves. "How do I look?" she tentatively asked.

"You look great." Thatch answered.

"_Vraiment." _Francois added with a nod of his head.

Alison smiled and turned to Yang. "Where did you get this?"

"Eh, I have my sources." The blonde responded. Alison looked like she was about to respond, but Yang cut her off. "So, everyone know what they're doing?"

Weiss began the explanation of the plan. "Ruby and I will head to the CCT to check the Schnee records for any other dust robberies or inconsistency. Seeing as I'm in the family, it shouldn't be a problem."

"The White Fang has regular faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members." Said Blake. "If I can get in, I can hopefully find out what they're planning."

"I have an old friend on the shady side of town who _typically _knows everything going on in Vale." Said Yang. "Getting information out of him shouldn't be too hard."

"I've made a contact in Vale who hears things every so often." Francois said. "I'll pay him a visit and see what he knows."

"Great!" Said Ruby. "Alison, you and Thatch can go with Yang. It's better to have some help on that side of town." The artist and renegade nodded in approval and moved to stand by the brawler. "Alright, we'll meet up tonight by Yang to go over what we found. Let's do this!"

"Yeah!" said a voice from the window. The two teams jumped back in surprise when they saw Sun hanging by his tail from a tree outside the window.

"How did you get up there?" Asked Yang.

"Oh, it's easy." The monkey responded. "I do it all the time!"

"You do what!? Weiss demanded.

"I climb trees all the time." Sun clarified, not wanting to further anger the heiress. Weiss still glared at him. "So," Sun continued, jumping in the window. "Are we finally getting back at hat Torchwick guy?"

"_WE _are going to investigate the situation." Blake explained "As a team."

"What about them?" Sun asked, pointing at Alison, Francois and Thatch.

"Sorry Sun," said Ruby "We don't want to get too many friends involved."

Sun scoffed. "Please, that's dumb. You should always get friends involved. That's why I brought Neptune." He said, gesturing out the window.

Team RWBY looked out the window to find the blue haired boy in question clinging for dear life to the edge of the building. "Sup?" He said, confidently.

"How did you even get up here?" Ruby asked.

"I have my ways?" He replied, smoothly. His facade soon dropped, however. "Seriously though, can I come in? We're like, _really _high up right now."

After pulling Neptune through the window and Thatch demanding to know just how crazy Sun really was, Ruby re-adjusted the plan to fit its new members. "Alright, Sun, you can go with Blake, and Neptune, you can go with Francois since he doesn't have a partner. Everyone good?"

"Actually, Ruby, why don't you go with Yang?" Weiss said, somewhat awkwardly. "After all, she is your sister."

"Oh, but of course not." Francois said with a chuckle. "Ruby should stay with you. After all, Yang has more than enough people already, and someone needs to go with you."

"Exactly!" Ruby said. "Come on Weiss!" With that, Ruby grabbed Weiss by the back of her coat and dragged her off, the heiress trying feebly to escape at first, but eventually resigning herself to her fate.

"I have one question." Thatch said after Ruby and Weiss left "Those two can get to the CCT with a short walk, but how are we going to get to the shady side of town?"

"Oh, _mon ami, _don't you worry." Francois said, patting his partner on the back. "I have a plan." With those words, the nobleman led his companions out of the dorm rooms and onto the Beacon grounds. Outside, the sun was just beginning to touch the horizon, bathing the grounds in a slight orange tint as more and more students began to turn in for the night. One student, however, was seeking a certain member of Team EMAD.

"Francois!" The nobleman turned in the direction of the voice to see Velvet running towards him.

"Velvet, _mon cherie." _Francois said, catching the faunus in a close embrace. He was about to say something poetic, but before he could speak, he noticed the look in her eyes. "Is something the matter?"

"Francois, I've been given a mission with my new team." Velvet said, pausing for a moment before she continued. "It's an away mission, and I leave tonight."

The nobleman didn't respond at first, his mind trying to process just what she had said. "When do you leave?"

"In two hours." The bunny faunus admitted. "I just wanted to see you before I go to make final preparations with my team."

"You don't have time to perhaps, get a coffee with me first?" Francois asked, his eyes never leaving hers.

Velvet shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. Coco told me I could say goodbye, but that I was needed for final preparations with my team soon."

Thatch watched the couple talk for a short while before turning to the others. "Let's give them a bit of space." He said, gesturing away from Francois and Velvet. The other teams nodded and stepped away from the couple.

Francois saw this and made a mental note to thank his partner, something he never thought he'd do in his life. "I'm glad you came to see me."

"So am I..." Velvet said, somewhat awkwardly.

The two of them stood in silence, the slowly setting sun bathing them in a bright orange light. The view from Beacon at sunset may have been amazing, but at the moment, all the couple could focus on was the eyes of the other. No words passed between them, their eyes saying everything for them. As one, they both began to lean in towards each other, eyes closing as they grew closer until finally their lips met. The kiss didn't last long, but it conveyed everything it needed to. Neither one would fall, so long as they had the other to return to.

When the couple separated, their eyes opened and met once again. Velvet was the first to break the silence. "I should go. My team will be waiting for me."

"I will be here when you return, _mon cherie."_ Francois replied.

"You never did tell me what that means."

"_Je m'excuse." _The nobleman said. "I will tell you when you return."

Velvet gave him a coy smile. "I really should go. And when I get back, I'm holding you to that." With that, the faunus planted a kiss on his cheek and broke the embrace, walking to her dorm with a spring in her step.

Francois watched her leave as his friends stepped into place behind him. Thatch put a hand around his partner's shoulder. "Nice work Noble Boy." He said.

"I don't need you teasing me right now, _mon ami." _Francois responded, turning to face the others. "After all, we've got a mission of our own." With that, the group resumed walking, Francois leading them to the student parking garage. "After our last, shall we say, excursion into Vale, my parents contacted me, and I may have made the joke that after walking all around Vale that my feet hurt. Apparently, they did not see it as a joke." Leading them into the building, the group found that it was full of what appeared to be storage units, some small, but some large enough to make people wonder just what kind of vehicles some students owned. "I was called down here to accept a package, but was _un petit peu _confused, since I did not order anything." The nobleman led them to one of the smaller rooms, and pulled a key out of his coat pocket. Unlocking the door, he threw it open, the lights inside illuminating the contents of the room. "Apparently, my family sent me these."

Inside the room was a pair of gleaming, streamlined motorcycles, both painted silver with blue accents and polished to a shine. Emblazoned on the bikes were the words _'SDC Stallion.' _Each one looked just the right size to hold two riders, but not much else. "A note was placed on one of them." said Francois "It said that 'two should be enough for my team.'"

"_Francois," _said Maria _"From now on, you tell me when you get a delivery this amazing."_

"I apologize, fearless leader," Francois said, completely unapologetic. "How would you have ridden one on your leg?" Maria didn't respond for a while. "I rest my case."

"_Yes, well, you forgot to turn your camera off when you spoke to Velvet." _Francois was silent as his face reddened.

Thatch was the first one to approach one of the bikes, an ear to ear grin on his face. "Noble Boy, I suddenly have a whole new respect for you and your family."

"No you don't" Francois countered.

"Respect or not," Said Yang "It's time to saddle up. My bike's also parked here. I'll grab that and meet the four of you downstairs. "She said, gesturing to Thatch, Alison, Francois and Neptune. "Blake, Sun, You two should probably not make too much noise on the way in. You don't want to attract too much attention."

Blake nodded, but Sun looked crushed as he gazed longingly at the bikes. He opened his mouth to speak, but Blake covered it quickly. "Understood." The cat faunus said. "We'll head down to the White Fang meeting and meet up with you afterward."

There was a collective nod and the hunters all went their separate ways, Yang going to collect her bike, Blake and Sun, who gave one last fleeting look to the _Stallions, _leaving for the White Fang meeting, and Francois, Neptune, Alison and Thatch getting on the _Stallions._

"You do know how to drive one of these, right?" asked Francois, putting on a silver helmet and climbing on his bike, Neptune getting on behind him.

Thatch donned his own helmet and climbed on the other bike. "I've piloted a similar sized airship with similar controls. This shouldn't be too bad." Alison climbed on behind him, donning a similar helmet. Thatch turned to her. "Ever been on something like this before?" The artist just slipped a helmet on and shook her head. "I'll try and make this easy on you then. Hold on tight."

Alison nodded and wrapped her arms around the renegade's chest, both of them turning scarlet under their helmets.

"Whenever you two are ready." Francois called.

"Ready when you are." Thatch replied.

As one, the two of them gunned the ignition, the bikes rolling out into the fading light of the evening.


	7. Chapter 4: A Night Out

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 4**

**oxoxoxo**

The sun was setting, and the _Last Stop _bar was slowly emptying. The night was much less busy than the bartender expected. _Where is everyone? _He mused, polishing a glass. He put the glass down and looked around his bar. There were maybe ten patrons in tonight, what happened? Did everyone over drinking age start going to AA meetings? He shrugged his burly shoulders and picked up another glass. The night was still young, anything could happen.

And, sure enough, in a few seconds, his night did get more exciting, as his door was suddenly kicked open, and in stepped a familiar young man in a long, blue coat and fedora, a blue haired boy in a red jacket following him in nervously, eyeing his patrons. "You know, lad." The bartender said, acknowledging the boy's presence. "As much fun as I'm sure kicking my door in is, if you break it, I'm going to charge you for it."

The nobleman shrugged. "I can probably afford it."

The bartender gave a barking laugh. "Ha! That's what I like about you, lad! You come around to my bar, and give me some good entertainment. Speaking of entertainment, who's the pop star?"

Francois turned to look at Neptune who was busy chatting up a few girls. "He's not important."

"I could tell by the tight pants. What can I get you this time, boyo?"

"Something unlikely to kill me." The nobleman said.

"And here I thought you were exciting." The bartender said, pouring Francois a glass of water. "So, what are you doing here tonight? It's certainly not for a good glass of whiskey."

"You catch on quickly, _mon ami."_

"Please, call me Aedan. After helping that girl out of her jam last time, I think you can call me by name." The bartender said.

"_Merci beaucoup, _Aedan." Francois said. "Although, I'm interested to know just how you knew I helped her."

"After what happened at the docks that night, you can bet more than one sorry fellow came here to whine over some wine and drown his sorrows." Aedan said. "When you run a bar as successful as mine, you hear things."

Francois looked around the bar, noting its noticeable lack of patrons. "This is success?"

Aedan glared. "Too much talk like that, and you're out of here."

"_Je m'excuse." _Francois said, taking his water from Aedan. "Although I didn't just come here to trade pleasantries. I am in need of some information."

"I tend to hear things." Aedan replied in a soft tone. "What do you need to know, lad?"

Francois' response was a single word. "Torchwick."

Aedan gave the nobleman a narrow eyed glare. "You two seem to have a similar sense of dress."

"That is likely the only thing the two of us share." The marksman said.

"I'll take your word for it." Aedan said, picking up another glass to dry. "And just what do you want to know about him?"

"Not too much." Francois said. "Just a few things, beginning with, where is he?"

"I might know a thing or two about that." The bartender said, putting down the glass and picking up a receipt and a pen. "For example, he might be in town tonight, and he might just be at this address. I'd suggest you stay away from there, however." Francois took the slip of paper and read the address to himself, eyes widening as he did. "I take it from your reaction, you recognize that address."

"I just might." Francois said. "And I just might need to make a quick phone call. Francois leapt to his feet from the chair, but Aedan grasped his shoulder as he tried to leave.

"Wait, lad." He said, pulling the nobleman back to him. "You didn't hear any of this from me. Understood?" Francois' only response was a nod. "Good, now, you might want to get your friend out of here before he gets hurt." Aedan said, pointing to the other side of the bar, where a few angry and drunk patrons were giving him unpleasant glares.

"I'll take care of that. _Merci, mon ami."_

Aedan nodded as Francois walked off to help his friend. The bartender hoped he wouldn't notice the little gift he left in his pocket while he talked to him. Taking one last look at the low volume of customers, Aedan quietly slunk into his bar's storage room and pulled out his scroll. Entering a number, the bartender made his call, a voice on the other end filtered through a voice changer spoke back to him. _"Hello?"_

"Lad, it's Aedan."

"_Aedan! Hey! What's up?"_

"No time for small talk, lad. I've got another job for you."

"_Sounds like fun. Do tell."_

oxoxoxo

With a roar of engines and the screech of tires and brakes, Yang and Thatch pulled their bikes to a halt before a large nightclub, Yang pulling off her helmet and pointing at Thatch. "Hah! Told you I'd beat you here!"

Alison and Thatch stepped off their bike, removed their helmets and exchanged a glance before turning to Yang. "We were racing here?" Alison asked.

"Uh, yeah." Yang replied.

Thatch and Alison exchanged another glance before Thatch spoke. "You never mentioned-"

"Anyway," Yang interrupted "Come on, my friend's right in here." She said, pointing to the nightclub and walking toward it before anyone else could speak. Thatch and Alison exchanged one last, confused glance before following the brawler.

"I swear, this place looks familiar." Thatch muttered.

"Why is that?" Alison asked.

The renegade shrugged. "Not sure."

Meanwhile, inside the nightclub, Junior stood behind his bar, fixing his tie as he watched his men set everything up. Records were spinning, drinks were flowing, music was blaring, and most importantly, the club was FINALLY repaired from Blondie's visit... That was a nightmare, he'd had to shut the club down for months just to fix the burn damage, not to mention the broken windows, hospitalized staff, explosive force, ruined decor...

Junior was distracted from his musings over why he continued to run his business after that hit, by a pair of his men desperately trying to seal the front doors. Those idiots. "What are you idiots doing?" He demanded. Both of the men began screaming at him, neither one able to be heard over the other and the music in the background. Junior was about to tell the morons to shut up and explain it one at a time, when the door flew open in a burst of fire that shook the club, knocking the next record improperly onto the turn table. Through the smoke, Junior could see three figures walking into the club. The two flankers he didn't recognize, but the one in the middle... how could he forget?

"Guess who's back!" Yang declared as she cheerfully marched into the club, striking a pose with a massive smile on her face. She didn't even flinch as everyone in the club simultaneously pointed a weapon at her. Remaining completely unfazed, Yang soon lost patience with the skipping music on the improperly placed record, glaring up at the DJ booth until he stopped the music.

From behind her, Alison stared, open mouthed at the crowd of gun toting thugs in front of Yang, while Thatch facepalmed and muttered "God dammit Yang. What did you do this time?"

"Stop! Stop!" Junior said, pushing his way through the crowd of his men. The last thing he needed was to shut down the club for _more _repairs. He'd go bankrupt if he did. "Blondie. You're here. Why?" He asked, voice cracking in nervousness at the last word.

Yang smirked and walked up to the gangster. "You still owe me a drink." She said, dragging him off toward the bar.

Alison and Thatch watched as the brawler dragged the gangster away. Thatch looked at the guards then back at his teammate. "Go make sure Yang doesn't break Junior, I'll keep these gents busy." Alison nodded and walked off after Yang. As the artist left, Thatch took one more look around the night club. "I swear this place looks familiar..." He muttered. "When was I here before?"

"Didn't you once work security here?" One of the guards asked.

Thatch scratched his chin. "Oh yeah... I don't remember any of that, must not have been that great a job."

"That's because you quit one night before Blondie over there showed up." Another guard supplied.

"Seriously?" Thatch asked. Every guard nodded. "I have the greatest timing in the world." He muttered to himself.

Meanwhile, Alison managed to catch up to Yang and Junior as they got to the bar. "So," Yang began "Let's start with that drink you owe me." Junior sighed and began to pour Yang her strawberry sunrise and search for a little umbrella. Yang turned to the artist as her drink was made. "Care for a drink, Alison?"

"Uh, sure." Alison mumbled, clearly uncomfortable being in such a loud and crowded environment.

"Hey Junior! Another drink for my friend here!" Yang called. Junior groaned and got to work on another sunrise. "You alright?" the brawler asked, noticing the artist's shifting eyes looking around the club.

"Just nerves." Alison answered. "Beacon was one thing, but somewhere like this... It's just a bit overwhelming."

"Don't worry, Alison." Yang said, putting an arm around the shorter girl's shoulders. "You came in here with me. No one in their right mind would bother you."

Taking a quick look around the club, Alison could see that Yang was right. All of the nightclub's patrons were giving Yang a wide berth as though she were an active landmine. The artist could only wonder just what she had done to inspire this awe and fear. "You seem to have the whole club running scared."

Yang shrugged. "I guess I just have a certain charm to me."

"I guess so." Said Alison. "Wait, why did you bring me and Thatch in that case?"

Yang shrugged. "Two reasons, really. The first is that it never hurts to have a bit of backup on this side of town. The other is that I'm sure you would like a chance to have a bit of time with our favourite swordsman." Alison's face turned a light shade of red at the blonde's words. "Why don't you go see if you can have a drink with him, I can handle Junior. Speaking of which, Junior, one more drink for my other friend."

Alison opened her mouth to protest, but Yang cut her off before she could speak. "Look, I can handle Junior, you just find a nice, empty section of the bar and enjoy your drinks."

The artist was about to reply and decline again, when Maria's voice rang out in her ear. _"She's got a point, Alison. The two of you will be ready if anything goes wrong, but until that happens, I think the two of you can enjoy a drink."_

"Maria, I-"

"See, even your fearless leader agrees with me." Yang boasted.

"_You know I can still hear you, right?"_

Alison gave a small smile as their drinks arrived. "Just promise me you'll try not to break anything while I'm gone."

"No promises." Yang said.

Alison sighed. "I think that might be the best I'll get from you." With that, she picked up a pair of drinks and brought them to the renegade. She smiled as she handed him one of the drinks. He raised it to her and she responded in kind, their glasses meeting with a 'clink.'

oxoxoxo

Blake and Sun, both wearing the Grimm masks of the White Fang, stuck to the crowds of faunus as they entered the White Fang meeting. Trying to be just two more faces, they did all they could to not be noticed, barely speaking, keeping their heads down and turning their scrolls onto silent mode. The meeting was in a massive warehouse in the old industrial district, barely seen by anyone other than vagrants. The perfect place for a covert extremist meeting. In the warehouse was a crowd of hardened White Fang operatives in full robes and masks, along with a large group of faunus ranging from average street children to professionals in suits. In the midst of all of them, Blake and Sun were barely noticed.

On a stage erected at the back of one of the warehouse was a large curtain with the blood red symbol of the White Fang emblazoned on it. Standing on the stage before it were three people. Two of them, she had never seen before, but the one they flanked was infamous among the White Fang. She stood taller than any of the other faunus present, and her long, blue, gold trimmed coat and tricorne hat stood far apart from anyone else in the room. It was clear that a covert operation was not what she specialized in. No, she was all about shock and awe. This was Caroline Leon, one of the White Fang's most notorious field commanders. Flanking her were a pair of girls in snake pattern robes, one of them about six feet tall and carrying a large axe over her shoulders while the other was about Ruby's height with a pair of crossbows mounted on her wrists. They weren't familiar to Blake, but she knew they were trouble.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight to join us." Caroline began, her voice echoing throughout the building. "For those of you joining us for the first time tonight, I would like to introduce you to a... colleague of ours." The slight noise of footsteps could be heard along the side of the stage, accompanied by the clacking of a cane on the floor. "This... human..." Caroline hissed "has agreed to help to support our cause. Unless he gives you reason to do so, treat him with respect."

Blake could only growl under her breath. It was Torchwick.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Torchwick gloated as he walked on stage to cries of disbelief and jeers. "Please, hold your applause."

"What's a human doing here?" One member of the crowd with small antlers on her head cried out.

"I'm glad you asked deerie." Roman answered. "Now, I'll be the first to admit, humans are the worst. Case and point." He said, gesturing to himself and giving a salute. "So, I understand why you would love to see us all locked away, or better yet, killed."

"Stop giving me ideas and get to the point." Caroline growled.

Roman rolled his eyes and continued speaking. Blake and Sun watched as Torchwick riled up the crowd with a speech against the powerful in the kingdoms, the humans in control. "They're all pests that need to be dealt with." Torchwick said, clenching a fist. "Fortunately, I'm the best exterminator around. No offense to any rodents in the room." He added hastily. He then grinned and snapped his fingers. The curtain on the stage fell away, revealing what was behind it.

Blake gaped in awe. Behind the curtain was a massive, bipedal machine. Blake instantly recognized it from a text she got from Ruby earlier that day. It was the new Atlesian Paladin battle tank. "That's a big robot." Sun muttered nervously.

"How did he get that?" Blake muttered. As Torchwick continued to regale the new members of the White Fang about his employer's plans for the south east of the kingdom, Blake was blissfully unaware of her scroll, set on silent, ringing in her pocket.

oxoxoxo

Alison and Thatch were enjoying their drinks at Junior's club when Thatch's scroll alerted him of an incoming call. Groaning to himself, he pulled the communicator out of his pocket. "This is Thatch."

"_We have a problem." _Francois said from the other end. _"Gather the rest of your group outside the club, I'll explain it to you when you have them together."_

It took a matter of seconds for Thatch to retrieve Yang from the bar and get her and Alison outside to their bikes. "Alright, Noble Boy, I got the group together, what's the problem?"

"_Torchwick is in the city. My contact tells me he's speaking at the White Fang meeting Blake and Sun are infiltrating." _Francois explained.

"We need to get them out of there!" said Yang.

"_Neptune and I are on our way to her location," _the nobleman replied _"We'll go in together when you arrive."_

"Got it. We'll meet you there." Thatch said, closing his scroll and climbing on his _Stallion, _Alison getting on behind him. Yang mimicked them from her bike, both of them revving their engines and speeding off to catch themselves a criminal. The city of Vale sped past them as they drove to the old industrial district. "Maria, can you still hear us?" Thatch asked.

"_Loud and clear." _Maria replied through their earpieces. _"I'll monitor your positions from here by tracking your scrolls. You're on the right path."_

"Understood." Thatch replied, gunning his engines.

"_Francois, you're almost there." _ Said Maria._ "I want you and Neptune to set up on top of one of the nearby buildings and wait for the others. You'll be their covering fire when they go after Blake and Sun."_

"_Oui madam." _The nobleman answered.

"_If you can see through a window, give me some idea of the numbers inside. As for the rest of you, if Francois can get those numbers, I'll make you a plan of attack."_

It only took a few minutes for Thatch Alison and Yang to arrive at Blake and Sun's location. Neptune met them next to the building Francois had set up atop. "What took you guys so long?" He asked.

No one responded to him. "Francois, what can you see through the windows?" Thatch asked into his scroll.

"_I can see that they need to be cleaned." _Francois responded. _"The windows are covered in dust and grime, Nothing is visible through them."_

"_Damn." _Maria said through their earpieces. _"Looks like you're going in blind."_

"Eh, charging in without thinking is what I do best." Yang quipped, activating _Ember Celica. _

"Uh, I'm not that much of a fan." Neptune said. Again, he was ignored as the others drew their weapons.

Suddenly, the warehouse went dark. Before anyone could speak, Blake and Sun crashed through one of the building's windows. Seconds later, the wall beneath that window shattered as a massive machine sped after the two faunus. As the machine began its rampage, the doors of the warehouse were flung open, two massive APCs driving out, driving away from the remains of the warehouse.

"The White Fang is running!" Thatch called out.

"What about Blake and Sun?" Yang demanded.

"_Yang, take Neptune and save your team." _Maria replied. _"Alison, Thatch, Francois, the three of you chase down the White Fang."_

"You can't expect us to take that thing on our own!" Neptune blurted.

"_Get the rest of Team RWBY to help you." _Maria said. _"Hurry, they're getting away."_

"Right." Said Yang, getting on her bike. "Come on, Neptune." The blue haired spearman nodded and got on behind her. The second Neptune touched the seat, Yang sped off, leaving dust and burned rubber behind her.

**(Author's Note: you didn't think I'd forget the music, did you? Music begins here. Song: Highway Star by Deep Purple)**

By the time Yang left, Francois had reached the ground, the three members of Team EMAD mounting up quickly, engines revving as they set out after the White Fang's APCs. The trucks were not hard to find, with the chaos left in their wake and the superior speed of the _Stallions, _Team EMAD soon began gaining on the terrorists. That was when Maria began giving commands. _"Thatch, when you get closer, I want you to board one of the trucks and enter through the top hatch. Alison, you'll take over the driving when he does."_

"How do you know there's even a rooftop hatch on that thing?" Thatch asked.

"_I recognize the make. Those are standard Atlesian Army APCs, Tortoise model."_

"How do you know this much about Atlesian APCs?" Francois asked.

"_As you saw with my sister, my family is very militaristic. Ever since we were little Julia and I were taught all about generalship and the technology of the Atlesian army. I'd tell you more, but we're in the middle of a mission, and I'd like you to survive it."_

"Got it." Said Thatch, gunning the engines on his bike, pulling up closer to the APC. "Alison, get ready to take the wheel!" He said, drawing nearer to the truck. Alison nodded and readied herself. Once he was convinced he was close enough, Thatch made an aura fuelled leap onto the roof, his boots hitting the truck with a 'clang' as he hit the deck on all fours. Soon after he landed, Alison leapt up to the handlebars and took control of the bike.

When Thatch landed, he instantly spotted the roof hatch. As he approached it, the hatch opened, and an angry member of the White Fang emerged and aimed his rifle at the renegade. Thatch surged forward and grabbed the rifle in one hand, hooking the terrorist in the jaw with the other. The faunus recovered quickly though and threw his gun away, knocking Thatch off balance as he drew a pistol. The renegade, however, was crowing annoyed, and with an angry snarl he activated his semblance, sending chills down the terrorist's spine. While he was distracted, Thatch smashed his fist into the man's jaw, sending him crumpling down into the APC. Thatch was about to follow, when a bullet slammed into the hatch, nearly tunnelling through his head. The renegade looked up to see a tall girl in a white, snake pattern hooded robe, a smoking axe/rifle in her hand standing atop the other APC. She aimed and was about to fire when a bolt of lightning soared past her. Thatch looked down to see Alison on her _Stallion, _her zhua held under her arm with one hand, the claw end still crackling with lightning.

The snake robed girl raised her axe again, this time aiming for Alison. Before she could pull the trigger, however, a black blur slammed into her as it screamed "YEE HAW!" Both she and the blur tumbled off the vehicle, landing on the side of the road with a roll.

Realizing this was his best shot, Thatch grinned, eyes glowing red as he jumped down into the carrier. The words _**"Get out!" **_could be heard from within, the White Fang giving a collective scream before they opened the rear hatch to the APC and scrambled out in a panic. Thatch chortled from within as he took the wheel. "Alright mates," Thatch said into his earpiece "The back of this thing should be big enough for your bikes." After a quick confirmation from his teammates, Thatch slowed down the APC enough so they could drive their _Stallions _in.

"_Good work you three." _Maria praised. _"Now, time to take down the other one. Francois, you think you can shoot out their tires from the roof hatch?"_

"But of course, _madam._" Francois said, readying his rifle. He unlatched the upper hatch and pushed it open, ready to fire. Before he could even raise his rifle, he was forced to duck out of the way as the snake girl he had duelled at the docks leapt onto their truck and thrust at him with one of her wriest blades. Francois' armour saved his life, but he was in a bad spot, half his body still in the APC while the girl loaded up another thrust. A strike with the butt of his rifle knocked her back long enough for him to climb out of the vehicle and rise to his feet just as she did. "It would be you again, wouldn't it?" He asked rhetorically.

"Only the best for you." She replied, readying her blades for combat. Francois raised his blade in response. She struck first, firing a bolt from one of her crossbows at Francois, the bolt, though deflected by his armour, knocked the nobleman off his balance, giving her a chance to strike, surging forward, blades raised to strike. Francois sidestepped the attack, nearly falling off the truck as he did, but managed to regain his footing and thrust with _Mademoiselle, _forcing his foe to jump back and giving him room to work.

Unfortunately for the nobleman, Thatch was forced to swerve the APC around a tight corner, causing him to stumble and nearly fall off the truck, managing to grab the edge and hold on as he hung off the side of the APC. His foe, on the other hand, landed right in front of him. She managed to rise, and raised a blade to finish him off. Another sharp turn in the other direction, however, threw her to the other end of the APC, allowing Francois time to climb back on and raise his weapon in rifle form. As the snake girl tried to get back on the truck, he fired, hitting her in the shoulder and knocking her off the APC.

Sighing in relief, the marksman turned his sights back to the vehicle in front of them, however, the sound of a massive engine overhead caught his attention. Looking up, Francois saw a massive Bullhead pulling in over the other APC. He suddenly realized the White Fang's plan: they were now on an open road, nothing overhead and plenty of space. They were trying to fly the truck out. The nobleman opened fire, but his bullets did little to no damage against the armoured hull of the dropship. The ship pulled in close over the APC, the magnets on the bottom of the hull activating and latching onto the APC. Within seconds, the ship was hoisted off the road and in less than a minute it was out of reach.

In the driver's seat of the other truck, Caroline Leon sighed in relief. That had been a difficult escape, apparently hunters in Vale were a force to be reckoned with.

"_Is anyone out there?" _said a familiar voice over her communicator. _"This is Cobra to any White Fang in range."_

"Wun, this is Caroline. Are you alright?" The commander asked.

"_Good to hear you're still alive, commander." _Wun said _"I was wounded by the hunters in the other truck, and Micca is still missing. We need a transport now."_

"We had another Bullhead to pick up the other truck, but seeing as the men in that one jumped ship, I'll send it to pick up you and your sister."

"_Acknowledged, Commander Leon. Thank you."_

"Sending them out now, Wun. Hurry back, I need all the loyal fighters I can get, especially with that Torchwick guy still hanging around." Said Caroline.

"_You don't trust him, commander?"_

"No, Wun, I don't. I don't trust him, I don't trust his silent tramp, I don't trust those two kids, and I really don't trust that Cinder woman."

"_Permission to speak freely, ma'am?"_

"Permission granted."

"_Why not? They've given us a lot of money and weaponry."_

Caroline growled slightly before she replied. "There's just something I don't like about them. They just showed up out of nowhere, bearing money and guns for our troops. Then they started giving orders to the men, having them rob dust shops, any shops they could reach. Even the ones that served faunus. And what do they need all that dust for? They still haven't told us."

"_Ma'am, forgive the questioning, but I feel as though there's something more to this."_

"You're right, there is. I told you I need all the loyal troops I can get to follow me, and that's because so many of them are now blindly following Cinder and her lackeys." Neither one spoke for some time before Caroline continued. "Stay where you are, Wun. We'll find you and Micca by tracking your scrolls."

"_Are we heading down to the southeast?"_

"No, we're not. Cinder said she wants the two of us and your sister to begin operations on an island in the northeast." Caroline frowned. "She said we're 'meeting another one of her contacts on an island that doesn't exist.'"

"_What does that mean?"_

"I don't know, but I intend to find out." With that, the lion faunus disconnected the call.

oxoxoxo

Micca and her attacker rolled along the side of the road and into an alley after he tackled her off the lead APC. As the snake faunus rose to her feet, she got a better look at what hit her. It was a boy, shorter than her, wearing a long, black trenchcoat and fedora with a black mask covering his face and a simple single bladed axe in his hand. "And just who are you supposed to be?" She hissed, readying her own axe.

The masked boy smirked. "You're tougher than you look. Most White Fang members I hit that hard pass out after I hit them."

"You didn't answer my question." Micca replied.

"Fair enough." He said. "I suppose you can call me 'The Axman.'"

"Not even going to give me a real name?"

"I don't think you need that just yet."

"Well then, I suppose you can call me 'Taipan.'"

"I'm sure I'll get more out of you once I turn you in to the police." The Axman said, readying his axe.

"You can try." Taipan responded. With that, she fired the rifle in her axe, but the masked boy dodged the shot and charged, running along a wall of the alley, and swinging his axe with surprising speed. The snake managed to dodge it and come back with a swing of her own, but the vigilante blocked it. Before he could do anything, however, she kicked him in the chest, knocking him back and giving her room to fire, but as she raised her axe to fire again, the Axman reached into his coat and lobbed a knife at her, forcing her to duck it and giving him time to attack.

The Axman made an aura fuelled leap into the air and swung his weapon in a downward chop as he fell, and although Micca rolled out of the way of the strike, the force he hit the ground was felt as he landed. She tried another attack with her axe, but he ripped his out of the ground in a single pull and used the shaft to block her attack. With a shove, he pushed her back and began his attack anew, the two of them beginning to exchange blows in rapid succession, using the weight of their head heavy weapons to build momentum in their attacks and recover from blocks.

Micca glowered as she blocked another attack from her foe, a crazed grin plastered onto his face as he fought, their deadlock refusing to break as their eyes locked from behind his mask and underneath her hood. That was when a voice spoke into her ear. _"Taipan, this is Cobra. Lioness has sent a Bullhead to pick you up, I need you to get to somewhere open."_

"Understood, Cobra, will do." Micca muttered. Before her foe could ask what she meant, Taipan kicked him in the stomach and leapt onto the outside of the fire escape of one of the nearby buildings. The Axman soon recovered and made to follow, holstering his axe and climbing the outside of the fire escape after her.

That was when a voice spoke in his ear. _"Lad, I've been monitoring this girl's communications during your fight. She's making a break for it. Her ship will be here in less than a minute."_

"Damn, I was just starting to enjoy this." He muttered, still climbing. "Why are you running? Come on, I can still be a gentleman, I swear."

Micca stopped in her tracks as she climbed onto the roof, looking back down at her opponent. "What is wrong with you?" she cried.

"Many things!" He shouted, making an aura fuelled leap onto the roof. It seemed as though their fight would resume any second, but the roar of engines dashed that thought, as a Bullhead emblazoned with the White Fang emblem began its descent to the roof, the side door opening to reveal a shorter girl in identical robes to Taipan.

She raised her arm and fired a crossbow off her wrist, the bolt hitting the Axman in the shoulder. "Taipan, let's go!" she yelled over the ship as it lowered.

Micca nodded and made a running jump into the ship. The Axman stood up and watched as the ship began to rise. Before the doors closed he yelled out. "How about a second date some time?"

The last thing he saw before the doors shut was a glare from the shorter girl and a look of utter confusion from the taller one. He chortled as the ship flew off into the night. _"Did you get the job done, lad?" _Said the same voice as before.

"You know it." The Axman said with a grin. "I dropped a tracer on her during our fight. Wherever they set down, we'll know it."

"_Good work, boyo. Now come on home. Someone in the area just called the police."_

"Ugh, again? Really?" The Axman shook his head with a chuckle. "I try to fight off terrorists and criminals and all people can focus on is that I'm not the police."

"_With the skills you have, you could easily be a huntsman."_

"You and I both know that's not an option." The Axman sighed. "I'm on my way back. We'll have a round to celebrate." With those words, he broke into a run across the city's rooftops.

"_I don't care how many White Fang members you take down, if you want a drink from my bar, I'll need to see some ID."_

oxoxoxo

Team EMAD pulled the APC to a stop at Team RWBY's location, the three members stepping out to meet the girls as well as Sun and Neptune. Alison pulled out her scroll to video call Maria as she stepped out of the truck. "What did you guys find out?" Ruby asked.

"Roman mentioned that their operation was somewhere in the southeast." Blake said, recalling everything the criminal had said to the people she once called family. "He didn't mention exactly what they were doing, but they had a lot of weapons heading there, including more paladins."

"_C'est tres bizarre._" Said Francois "We searched the truck we stole and found a map that marks off an island in the northwest."

"Maybe they've divided their forces." Weiss said. "According to my family's company records, they've definitely stolen enough dust for more than one operation."

"Junior hasn't heard from the group of men he leant out to Torchwick." Yang said. "Obviously, he's not hiring from him anymore."

"So all we have is where they might be?" Ruby asked.

"_That's at least something." _Maria replied. _"And we also took their truck and cost them one of their mechs, so that's something. There's just one thing we need to find out."_

"What's that?" Asked Sun.

"_The island marked on the map you found. I'm looking at an image of it, as well as a map of the kingdom, and the island doesn't appear on it."_

"Why is that?" Ruby wondered aloud.

"_I'm not sure, but it's been a long night, so you should probably get back here soon. You deserve some rest after tonight."_

"We should probably stash the truck somewhere so Beacon doesn't question where we picked something like that up." Said Thatch. "And I think I know where we can put it."

"_I won't even ask how you know, just stash it and get back here as soon as you can." Maria said._


	8. Chapter 5: To the Nicest Places I

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 5**

**oxoxoxo**

Caroline Leon stalked through the halls of the fortress she and her soldiers had been sent to. She still had no idea what Cinder saw in this place, but her contact the lioness had met here, he certainly seemd certain there was something to gain here. She and her men had arrived here two days ago after a day of flying to meet a fairly small unit of men, about fifty strong, under the command of a dark haired man with sapphire blue eyes named Derek. The fortress was a small outpost in one of the few clearings on this heavily forested island, and ever since she had arrived, morale had started to go up. It didn't take a genius to figure out why, after all, Derek was not only human, but had an air about him, an aura of darkness that sent an odd shiver up her spine, and that made it hard for people to even be in the same room as him, let alone take orders from him. Then there was how he enforced his rule. The man had hired a mercenary to back him up, a man that no one wanted to challenge seemingly out of sheer fear of him. Caroline, however, was no average soldier.

The lioness marched into Derek's personal chambers, the black haired man in deep conversation with his mercenary, a fellow in a black trenchcoat with a hood over his head, only his mouth visible beneath it, a mouth set in a cruel smile. Hanging from a red leather belt around his waist was a pair of hand axes and a scimitar, a large barrel emerging from the crossbar, and on his back was a light machine gun with a large bayonet attached to the front. Derek himself, meanwhile, was dressed in a fine, black suit and had nary a weapon in sight, but by the look on his face, he may as well have had a weapon trained on her already. "I hate to interrupt what I'm sure is a very important conversation, but we have a problem." Caroline said.

"Ah, Caroline, how are you my dear lady?" Derek asked, Caroline instantly seeing right through the mask of decency he put on.

"You don't get to use my first name until you earn it." The commander spat. "And this is a serious issue. Our men are starting to go missing."

"Correction," the mercenary said, his English accent showing. "Your men are going missing. We could give a Grimm Rat's arse what happens to them."

"Now now, Bartholomew, that's not very nice." Said Derek. "Though, he does have a point, these are your men, so you should know about what's happening to them. Why don't you tell me more miss Leon?"

Caroline spared a growl at Bartholomew before turning back to Derek. "Two patrols of men failed to report back to me this morning. I don't know what's happened to them, but they're MIA."

"And just what do you intend to do about that?" Derek smarmed.

"What do you mean?" Caroline replied. "You're in charge of this base, so these are your men too."

"Perhaps true," Derek responded. "But Cinder put you specifically in charge of the men, so they're your responsibility. Besides, with what's wandering this island, those men are as good as dead, so you may as well forget about them."

From behind her mask, Caroline's eyes narrowed. "What?" she hissed, taking a step towards him.

Bartholomew quickly stepped in to shield his employer. "Now just hold on a second there, girly."

The lioness snarled, looking the mercenary right in the eye before turning back to Derek. "What do you mean? Tell me or I'll force it out of you!"

To their credit, neither Derek, nor Bartholomew looked even the slightest bit worried when confronted by the enraged lioness. In fact, Derek had a wide smirk across his face. "I would tell you, miss Leon, but I do think it would be better for you to see for yourself. Why don't you take a few of the men out for a patrol tonight? I'll even let you choose the men you take, after all, I know you like those two snake girls."

Caroline seemed to calm down slightly after what he said, but her eyes still bored into his from behind her mask. "I'll take a few men out to look for the others this afternoon." Caroline said. "Whether I find them or not, if I see something I don't like out there, then you're going to tell me exactly what I saw, or I'm taking all my men and leaving you here."

"Very well." Derek said, his smile never leaving his face.

The commander gave one final snarl before she turned and began to walk away, her golden mane flowing behind her. Bartholomew, however, decided to give her a different note to leave on. "Oh, and Caroline," The aforementioned lion faunus turned to snap at the mercenary for using her first name, when she noticed that a slight red glow was coming from beneath his hood, and the room seemed to have considerably darkened. When he spoke again, his voice seemed much deeper and more sinister. "You don't frighten me. By the look in your eyes, however, it seems I have quite the effect on you."

Caroline slowly backed out of the room and shut the door behind her. Even with the barrier between them, she could still hear his sinister laughter.

oxoxoxo

Ruby swung her _Crescent Rose _in a downward slash at Sun, but the monkey faunus dodged and came back with a swing of his staff, smacking Ruby in the side and sending her sprawling. Sun leapt into the air and brought his staff down, but Ruby was gone in a gunshot, leaving rose petals behind. Another shot and the reaper's boots slammed into Sun and knocked him back as Ruby resumed her attack.

Meanwhile, Weiss and Francois watched from the seats of Professor Goodwitch's class. The nobleman turned to the heiress and gave a smirk. "She sure seems to have improved since you first met, has she not?"

"Perhaps." Weiss said, unwilling to admit that Ruby had gotten better. "She's still a child though."

"Are you ever going to get over that?"

"Maybe." Weiss replied icily. Francois noticed, however, that she was completely focused on her partner.

"You know, this would all be easier if you just admitted I was right about the two of you." Francois said.

Weiss looked at him quizzically. "Right about what?"

"Weiss Schnee admitting she was wrong about something?" said a voice. The two looked up to see it came from Julius Gold, the gold dressed swordsman taking a seat next to Francois. "Oh yes, that'll happen."

"Uh, do I know you?" Weiss asked.

"Julius Gold, heir to Gold Industries." Julius said. Weiss drew a blank. "Your father tried to set us up at one point."

"He tries that with a lot of guys." Weiss replied. "You'll have to do better than that."

"I was the only one who knew which end of a sword was the business end." Julius answered.

Francois looked between the two heirs before him, his eyes eventually settling on Weiss. "Just what kind of people did your father try to set you up with?"

"Pretty much anyone with an expensive last name." Weiss said. "And I'm sorry, but I'm still drawing a blank on you."

"If you were introduced to so many possible matches, then I'm not surprised." The Gold heir replied. "Perhaps I can make a better impression while we're here."

"Maybe." Weiss said, turning back to Ruby's fight. "We'll see." In the fight, Ruby had just evaded a flurry of shots from Sun's gun-chucks, the distance she created giving her just enough room to raise and fire her sniper, the round slamming into Sun and sending his aura plummeting, winning Ruby the match. A tiny smile graced Weiss' face as Ruby did her childish little victory dance. A smile that did not go unnoticed by Francois and Julius, the former rolling his eyes with a smile while the later looked between Weiss and the field in confusion.

"And Miss Rose takes this round." Said Goodwitch as Ruby offered Sun a hand to his feet. "That will be the last round for now, but after lunch I want all students to report back to my class, as I have a special announcement to make. Until then, you are all dismissed."

Students milled about the class, trying to find the other members of their teams for lunch, Ruby speeding over to Weiss and getting right in her face. "Weiss, did you see me out there, I did good, right?" she said, one word blurring into the next.

"Uh, yeah, of course Ruby." Weiss said, leaning back slightly.

Ruby and Weiss continued to talk, Ruby listing off her feats in the fight while Weiss confirmed that they were, indeed, awesome, Julius and Francois watching from the sidelines with expressions of confusion and amusement respectively on their faces. Another student, an exchange student from Vacuo, leaned on the wall of the class, an expression of boredom on her face. She was a student easily lost in the crowds, her clothing casual and baggy, perfect for avoiding the eyes of most, a grey t-shirt, a black skirt reaching just above her knees and a pair of black sandals. Her looks were also nothing special, shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes flitting between bored and suspicious looking. She wasn't sure why she was watching these idiots, but since she had been waiting for the rest of her team since the beginning of the day, there wasn't much else she could do. Then again, that might also be her fault, having snuck out of their dorm early in the morning. Speaking of her team members though... "I was wondering when you guys would find me." She said, turning to the boy who was approaching her.

He was fairly tall and dressed in a blue leather jacket with armour plates sewn over his vitals and a pair of black jeans and boots. He stuck out more, as his long blue hair varied in colour, darker on the crown of his head, but getting lighter as his hair grew, his eyes a similar shade of dark blue. Slung over his back was his weapon, a long, blue sniper rifle. "And just where did you go this morning, Diana?" he asked.

The girl, now identified as Diana, shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, I just needed some space. Where are the other two stooges, oh fearless leader?"

The blue haired sniper sighed in resignation. "Obsidian decided to go for a late night hunt in the Emerald Forest last night, so he's currently having a talk with Beacon's headmaster, and Noctus left to go visit his sister. He asked me to meet him there during lunch. Figured I might as well bring you along."

Diana shrugged. "Lead the way, Indigo, I have nothing better to do."

Indigo muttered something under his breath. "Is there a reason you're always so bitchy?" he said as he led the way to the airship docks.

"Simple, I respect those I feel deserve it. Thus far, you're a wise ass, Obsidian is a thug with a death wish, and Noctus is the only one of this team I can come close to respecting." Diana explained.

"Well, could you tone it down, or at the very least pretend to like us until the end of the festival? There will be team combat, and we'll need all our team members focused."

"In combat, I'll be there, but outside, don't expect too much." Said Diana. "Now come on, we're going to miss the airship to town."

Indigo shook his head. "I suppose that's the best I'm going to get, isn't it?"

"Probably." Diana confirmed.

The rest of the journey continued in silence, Indigo following the directions Noctus had given them to where they were supposed to meet him. The directions led to a small inn just outside downtown Vale. The sign on the door read _"A Rest for the Weary." _It was a small building constructed of the same grey brick as most of Vale seemed to be built from, nothing special or out of the ordinary. "This looks like the place." Said Indigo.

"Shouldn't you make sure?" Diana asked.

Indigo gave her a look. "What? Should I just have a look through the walls and make sure we're not walking into a dozen armed robbers in broad daylight?"

"Yeah, something like that. You do have the semblance for that, after all."

Indigo shook his head before focusing on the wall of the inn, small pinpricks of blue light appearing in his eyes. To another he might look crazy, but Diana knew he was using his semblance of phase vision to have a look through the walls. "Okay, it's safe, can we go in now?"Diana didn't even say anything, the skinny girl simply pushing through the doors. Indigo muttered "Why me?" under his breath before following her inside.

The inn's lobby was nothing special, a small room with tan and orange painted walls and a beige tiled floor. Half a dozen small wooden tables were spread across the lobby, and at the back of the room was a bar, a black haired woman with brown eyes standing behind the bar, washing a glass. Diana was leaning on the wall by the door, obviously ready to leave as soon as possible. She gestured with her head to a table on the other side of the room, a table occupied by a pair of faunus. One was a little girl, couldn't have been older than nine years old, short with a head of messy black hair with a pair of wolf ears protruding from the top of her head. Her green eyes sparkled as she stared across the table at her brother.

Her brother was the other faunus at the table, much taller with his black hair cropped short and his wolf ears clearly visible, his green eyes a more dull shade, but still with a certain shine to them as they looked down into the inquisitive orbs of his sister. He was dressed in a black tank top that showed off the impressive build that only hunter training from a young age could offer and a pair of blue jeans and black combat boots, a black battleaxe strapped to his back, a trigger visible along the handle of the weapon.

Diana gestured to the wolves again. "You go break up the family reunion, I'll just wait here."

For once, as he went to go collect his partner Noctus, Indigo agreed with Diana. After all, Noctus was here with his sister, and Diana would just end up scaring her or making her sad. With that in mind and the second most unsociable person he'd ever met left by the door, Indigo approached the table. "I hope you two aren't eating too much here, I mean the two of you eat like wolves."

The older wolf rolled his eyes, the younger one on the other hand leapt out of her chair excitedly and ran up to Indigo, hugging the sniper around his legs. "Indigo! What are you doing here?"

Indigo tousled the young wolf's hair as he replied. "You seem to forget, Nyx, your brother's on my team. Or, did he tell you that? I know he can be secretive sometimes, at some point you should get him to tell you about-"

"Indigo, stop corrupting my sister!" Noctus said, though the smile on his face betrayed the fact that he wasn't really angry. The two partners exchanged a handshake and fist bump before the conversation resumed. "I expect you guys want me back at Beacon?"

Indigo nodded. "They're calling for all the teams to meet up with that Goodwitch woman after lunch."

"Then we should probably head up pretty soon." Noctus said. "She's not exactly forgiving of tardiness."

Indigo smirked at his partner. "She can punish me anytime."

"Dude, she's at least twice your age."

"Your point?"

"Why would you want her to punish you?" Noctus and Indigo looked down to see it was Nyx who had spoken. "Why do you want to be in trouble?"

The whole inn seemed very quiet as the wolf and the sniper realized just what they had said in front of a nine year old girl. Indigo was the first to recover. "Well, you see Nyx, when a boy sees a girl he thinks is really pretty-"

"Indigo, what did I say about corrupting my sister?!" Noctus snapped, hitting his partner upside the head. Nyx laughed at their antics, her brother's friends were so weird, but she still liked them. "Anyway," Noctus continued "I'll go pay our bill for lunch and then we'll head back to Beacon."

The sniper nodded and turned to look at Nyx. "You be good while your brother and I are out, alright? Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"What wouldn't you do?" Nyx asked, somehow both joking and completely serious.

Indigo raised a brow before looking at his partner. "And I'm the one corrupting her?"

Noctus rolled his eyes and took his sister by the hand, leading them to the bar, only one customer was there speaking to the bartender, a boy in a black greatcoat and a matching tricorne hat, a few strands of black hair poking out from beneath it. Once there, the bartender signalled to the boy that she had other customers and approached them with a smile. "Had a nice lunch, mister Lupin?" she asked, her voice slightly rough and spoken in an English accent.

"Yes, thank you miss Ebonwood." Noctus replied, digging for his wallet.

"Please, just call me Mary." The black haired bartender replied. "You and your sister have been some of the best patrons I've ever had."

"Are you sure you can handle her?" Noctus said, looking concernedly at Nyx.

"Are you kidding?" Mary replied, looking down into Nyx's smiling face. "She's been so helpful around the inn, I just have to keep her away from the drunks at night."

"So you can watch her while I'm in class?" Noctus asked.

"Noctus, having had kids of my own, I think I'm more qualified to take care of the tyke than a hunter student with more bullets than time." Mary said.

"She's got a point," said the boy at the bar, his accent sounding shockingly like Mary's. "After all, she somehow managed to raise me pretty well."

Noctus looked at the boy somewhat quizzically. "And you are?"

The boy held out a hand. "Thatch Edwards, her son."

Noctus took Thatch's hand and gave it a firm shake. "You're her son? But your name-"

"I gave Thatch his father's last name, he just looks so much like him." Mary explained. "And he's right, if I could handle him, then little Nyx is nothing."

"What she said." Said Thatch. "Now, if those weapons are anything to go by, I'd guess the two of you are hunter students?" He said, gesturing to Indigo and Noctus.

Indigo nodded. "You're a Beacon student?"

"Did the cutlasses give me away?" The renegade said, patting one of his two swords. "We'd best be going, Goodwitch is not forgiving about being late, and my leader is even less so."

Indigo and Noctus nodded, the wolf planting a quick kiss on his sister's forehead and saying "Be good, don't do anything Indigo would do."

When Nyx confirmed she understood, the three boys got up and started walking towards the door, Diana getting up to join them. "Who's your plus one?" She asked.

"A Beacon student." Indigo replied. "Don't pay too much mind to Diana, she doesn't like people."

"I have a teammate who doesn't like talking to people too much." Said Thatch "She warmed up to me eventually."

"Not like that, Diana just doesn't like people." Said Noctus. "She's perfectly happy to tell you exactly how much she doesn't like you though."

oxoxoxo

It didn't take long for both teams to arrive back at Beacon and make their way back to Goodwitch's class. Thatch had left to find his own team soon upon arrival, and when Indigo and his teammates reached Goodwitch's class, the first person to greet them was a boy with short cropped black hair and heterochromatic eyes, the left being orange and the right silver. He wore a black tank top and a pair of red and black camouflage pants (Indigo had always made fun of him for them, saying he'd only blend in with the background if it were on fire) and a red leather jacket over the top. A pair of swords, one long and the other short, were sheathed at his belt. "And just where were you three?" He asked as Indigo Noctus and Diana arrived.

"Hello to you too, Obsidian." The sniper replied"Diana and I headed into town to collect Noctus." Obsidian was the last member of his team, Team INGO, and he was quite possibly the simplest member, having been trained as a hunter for just one simple reason: to kill Grimm. Unfortunately, that sometimes got him into trouble, as in the case of the previous night, where Obsidian had snuck off to go Grimm hunting and been caught by a professor while leaving campus.

"Have you learned your lesson about midnight hunts?" Noctus asked.

Obsidian shrugged. "Eh, I suppose. The other students in this combat class should do for now. It's not quite the same as hunting real Grimm, but it'll have to do."

"I think that's the best we're getting out of him." Said Indigo. "Come on, we should find a seat before all the good ones are taken."

Meanwhile, Thatch met up with the rest of his team, as well as Ben Aparte, whose role as acting field leader would continue today, as Maria still had one last day before her cast was removed. "And just where were you?" Ben asked, accusingly as the Renegade arrived.

"Relax, fearless leader. I just went to my mum's inn for lunch, met up with one of the exchange student teams while I was out." Thatch explained.

"Did you learn anything about them?" Maria asked.

"Unfortunately no, they weren't too eager to talk about their fighting strategies. I did see that they have one sniper and one axe man." The swordsman said.

"Well, at least we know two things to watch out for." Francois said.

"And just how much do they know about us?" Ben said.

"I didn't say anything, all though they may have caught a glimpse of the ladies." Thatch said, gesturing to his blades.

"But you didn't tell them anything?" Maria asked.

"Not a word."

Ben looked like he was about to say something else, when they were interrupted by professor Goodwitch. "Greetings, students of all kingdoms." She began. "You have traveled a long way to take part in the Vytal Festival, and with the tournament at the end of the year, I'm sure you're all very excited. That said, today, we're going to change things a little in this class. A few miles north of the school is an abandoned settlement, and since that land was granted to Beacon, we've used it for one purpose: practicing team combat. Today, all of you will be introduced to this settlement and some of you will be given the chance to participate in a team battle against a team from another kingdom."

Murmurs of excitement rose among the students. Team combat, and against other schools' teams no less. "The airship is leaving as soon as we're aboard," Goodwitch continued. "It's time to test your team combat skills."

**oxoxoxo**

**Well, there go the last of my exams, so I can get back to writing again, and in the next chapter we get our first team on team combat. Any guesses as to who the first combatants will be?**

**Anyway, more credit is due in this chapter. Derek and Team INGO (Indigo) both belong to author Madninja324, who, once again, you should check out if you have the chance. I mean, the guy has made SEVEN different RWBY stories (Though don't worry, I'm not going to use all of them, even I'm not crazy enough to try and fit upwards of seven stories worth of characters into one story).**

**Also, there will be more of Caroline in the next chapter, don't worry about her. Although, considering what's about to happen, maybe you should worry for her.**

**As always, please leave a review and let me know what you think. After all, this story won't get better without reviews. Also, I only have a few right now, so anything helps...**


	9. Chapter 6: To the Nicest Places II

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 6**

**Slight warning: the very end of this chapter does involve a lot of blood. You have been warned.**

**oxoxoxo**

Caroline stood before a half dozen of her Caroleans at the main gate to the outpost, carbine rifles slung over their shoulders and sabres sheathed at their belts. This was the team that the lioness assembled to search for the missing patrols, a group of six of her personal soldiers, men who answered only to her. A fairly small battalion of them were stationed here at this base, and though she wished she had more, this would have to do. "Alright men," She began "You all know why we're here. Last night we had men patrolling the island, but this morning, two of those patrols failed to report in and are currently MIA. We're heading out to search for them. This isn't that big of an island, so if we move fast enough and search efficiently enough we should be able to cover a lot of ground today."

"Yes ma'am." Came the chorus of replies.

A blue light shone from behind Caroline's mask, the glow spreading behind the masks of the six men. "We fire as one," she began "We march as one, we fight as one, we die as one."

"We are the Caroleans." Came the response from the men.

"Open the gate." Caroline said into her scroll. The response was instantaneous, the large gate opening with a hiss and exposing Caroline and her men to the island. The lioness turned on her heel and began to march, the six men falling in step behind her as they stepped into the forest of the heavily wooded island.

oxoxoxo

Ruby looked down in awe from the Beacon airship over the decayed city they were to use for team combat. "This place is huge..." She said.

Weiss rolled her eyes at her partner. "It's also a huge mess." Weiss said.

"Were you maybe hoping to be fighting in a nice and clean arena?" Yang said, cracking a smile.

"I just meant... I was... Ugh!" Weiss huffed. "Why did someone feel the need to put me on your team?"

The blonde bombshell slung an arm around the heiress. "You know you love me, Weiss. Just imagine how boring your life could be without me."

"I'm imagining just how much less irritating my life would be if Neptune was on my team instead of you." Weiss muttered.

"But Weiss," Ruby piped up. "Neptune would bring Sun with him, I'm not sure how you would stand to even be in the same room as Sun for a day, let alone four years on the same team."

Weiss put her head in her hands and groaned. "I just can't catch a break."

Ruby and Yang burst out laughing at the plight of the heiress, but one member of the team was noticeably absent from the conversation. "Hey Blake," Yang said, getting her partner's attention. "What's up? You didn't even join in and get in a good Weiss burn."

Blake jolted up at Yang's address. "Uh, sorry." She stammered. "I guess I just have a lot on my mind."

"You can't still be this wound up about Torchwick." Yang said, getting close to the faunus as not to speak to loudly of the criminal. "We threw a wrench into his operations at the very least."

"How do you know that?" Blake snapped. She soon realized the tone she had spoken with and realized that Yang had done nothing to earn the lashing she had given. "How do you know that?" She repeated, more gently this time.

"We were able to hit two of their big, expensive pieces at once in one night." Yang said. "And we got some information out of it. We'll work on it as much as we can, but for now, we need to focus on our classes. We'll never beat Torchwick and his thugs if we can't fight through them, will we?"

Blake sighed. "I guess you have a point." She said, conceding to Yang's statement. That said, the thoughts of what Roman and his men were planning was still in her mind, no matter how much she tried to push it out. It was still there, nestled in the back of her mind, just waiting to emerge again. For now, she needed to put it to the very back of her mind, but what could she do to keep it there? The cat faunus made her way to the window of the airship and had a look at Beacon's team combat training ground. The city itself was fairly small, but for the purpose of a pair of four person teams fighting, it was more than enough. The buildings were mostly of average height, with the majority of them being a single level around the edge of the city, two stories around the next rung of society, and a large, dome shaped complex at the center of the city. "I wonder who's fighting first." Blake mused.

As if on cue, the girls' scrolls all rang at once. Pulling them out, the young huntresses all noticed they had received the same message.

_Team RWBY:_

_Please report to the portside exit hatch as you will be entering the city first. You will begin on the west side of the city and will have exactly two minutes to explore and prepare yourselves before the battle begins. You may be wondering who your opponents are for this battle, but you will have to find out when the fight begins, simulating first contact with an unknown enemy._

_Rules of engagement:_

_Skirmishes may be fought anywhere in the city._

_Each student will be given an earpiece communicator to stay in contact with the rest of their team. These earpieces will be traceable by the team's scrolls._

_When a student's aura drops into the red, the student is eliminated from the contest._

_When a team has no fighters remaining, they are defeated and the other team will be declared victorious._

_Attacking a defeated team member will result in disqualification._

After reading the message, Ruby looked up at her faunus teammate. "I guess that means we're first."

"Drat!" Weiss cursed. "I was hoping we could have seen some other teams in action first. How are we supposed to come up with a strategy now?"

"We'll do what we always do, Weiss:" Yang said. "Charge in with no idea what we're doing, and form a brilliant, battle winning plan once we know what we're up against."

"That's not a plan!" Weiss snapped.

"We do have a bit of a bad habit of doing that." Ruby said.

She has a point." Blake agreed.

Weiss looked like she was about to respond, but stopped short of saying anything. "Come on guys." Ruby said. "We should get to the portside hatch before we miss our own fight."

oxoxoxo

Team EMAD picked their seats near the front row of the viewing area that had been set up at the rear end of the airship, the other students having all taken seats to watch the fight. Teams had been seated in random order so that they wouldn't know who was heading to ground to fight. Apparently, Goodwitch had decided that students were not to know who they were going up against in their fight until they made contact with the enemy. Maria looked at the two small dropships heading for the town and tried with all her might to see through the tinted glass windows. It was all in vain as she couldn't even see the silhouettes of those inside. "Any guesses as to who's fighting?" She asked to no one in particular.

Francois shrugged. "I can't tell. There are too many people here to spot any particular missing teams."

"They'll tell us before the fight begins." Alison said softly, the large crowd of exchange students making the artist nervous. "They just don't want us sending messages to our friends on their opponents."

"Will you all shut up?" Ben ordered.

"What flew up your arse?" Thatch asked.

"Be quiet. The fight is about to start." The giant said.

True to what Ben said, the two airships pulled in for landings at the east and west entrances to the small town, the doors opening soon afterward. From the top of the room, two large screens descended from the ceiling, each one turning on to display one of the opening airships.

oxoxoxo

Ruby stepped out of the dropship first and immediately drew and unfolded _Crescent Rose, _the other members of her team following suit, exiting the craft and drawing their weapons. As the airship took off, Ruby turned to her team. "Alright, we have only two minutes to get ready before the fight starts. Any suggestions?"

"You and I should scout ahead and see just what we're up against and where would be a good place to start the fight." Blake said.

"Good idea." Ruby confirmed. "We're the fastest of the group, so we should be able to cover the most ground and get to the others quickest. As for you two," The young leader said, turning to Yang and Weiss. "Head for the central dome of the city, if you're in an easy to find point, it should make it, well, easier for Blake and I to reach you."

Weiss and Yang both nodded and set off for the center of the city. Blake made for a nearby alleyway, climbing the walls of a building to reach a rooftop.

Finally, Ruby looked around for the tallest building she could see. Upon finding it, she used a combination of her speed and a shot from her beloved scythe to reach the roof. The red reaper took a look through the scope of her scythe, scanning across the other side of the city. Nothing in sight so far. Ruby continued to scan for another few seconds before she decided it was time to find another perch. Using her semblance, she began to sprint across the roofs of the city's buildings until she reached the top of an even larger building. Satisfied with her new perch, Ruby drew her sniper scythe once again, unfolding the weapon just in time to hear through her earpiece _"The battle will begin once contact is made."_

"You heard the lady." Ruby said. "Keep an eye out for the other team." A chorus of understanding came from her earpiece before Ruby brought up her weapon to search through its scope again. Scanning the city streets, Ruby was beginning to grow frustrated. She wasn't finding anything but the somewhat dilapidated buildings of the city. That is, until she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning her sights excitedly onto the moving object, she soon spotted the other team. It was one of the exchange student teams, the leader seeming to be a purple haired girl in a black jacket, a purple shirt beneath it and a pair of white leggings with chains wrapped around her arms, each one connecting to a weight held in her hands. Behind her was a blonde boy in a shining gold suit carrying a cane, a red haired boy in a crimson jacket and black cargo pants carrying a staff, and a black haired boy in black pants with a grey jacket and a pair of gauntlets over his forearms, one black and one white. "Guys, I see them." Ruby said into her earpiece. "It's one of the exchange student teams. I don't see too many long range weapons on them, a cane, probably a sword in it, a pair of weighted chains, a staff, and a pair of gauntlets, kind of like yours, Yang."

"_Ruby, this is no time to fangirl over weapons." _Weiss said in her ear. _"Any plans to deal with them?"_

Ruby gave the other team a quick look over. "I might have an idea in mind." She mused.

"_We're listening." _Blake replied.

Meanwhile, down on the streets, Violet Lightwood led Team VOAJ through the abandoned city streets. "You all heard the announcement, everyone keep your eyes open. The other team could be anywhere in this city, and I don't want us walking into a trap. Onyx, keep your semblance active, I want to know if anyone is in the immediate vicinity."

Onyx nodded and closed his eyes, his semblance of spatial awareness showing him everything around him in the form of pure information. If anyone was hiding in the shadows as they moved through the city, they would know it.

"Alex, Julius, keep your weapons ready." Violet stated, raising her own weights and activating the dist crystals within them, one weight glowing white and the other red. Julius drew his sword from within his cane, the red crystal in the pommel shining in the sunlight. Alex had his staff at the ready, clutched tightly in both hands.

Suddenly, Onyx stopped moving. "Hold up guys." He gestured toward a nearby alleyway, the buildings on either side casting a shadow across the alley. "Someone's there." He whispered. "Up on the fire escape of the left building."

Violet nodded and looked to her other teammates. "Alright, we attack as one on my mark. Ready?"

The others nodded, ready to strike when their leader gave her command.

**(Author's note: Music begins here. Song: This Will Be the Day by Jeff and Casey Williams)**

Before Violet could give the word, however, there was a flash of movement and Blake burst forth from the shadows, _Gambol Shroud _unsheathed for an attack. The cat faunus opened fire, scattering the other team. Violet reared back for an attack of her own, but before she could attack, a bullet whizzed by her shoulder. She turned around to see the glint of a scope from the top of a building. "Julius! Sniper!"

The Gold heir nodded and threw up a glyph over his team just in time to block and catch five more shots from the sniper.

Blake tried to strike at the swordsman, but Onyx got in her way and punched forward with his white gauntlet, throwing a fireball at her, one she avoided with a shadow clone that took the blast. Julius, safe from Blake's attack, turned his hand around, turning the bullets caught in his glyph 180 degrees. With a push forward he sent the bullets flying back where they came from.

Ruby's eyes widened as her own rounds soared at her, leaping back from the edge as they soared right through where she had been sitting a second before. _"Ruby, they have numbers over me, what should I do now?" _Blake said through her earpiece_._

"Stick to the plan." Ruby said back.

On the ground, Blake nodded and leapt back into the alley, climbing to the top of one of the buildings and making a break for it

"Oh no you don't!" Violet declared. With a push of her mind and her semblance of polarity, she sent her red glowing weight flying at the building Blake was about to land on, the weight producing an explosion of flames upon impact, sending the cat faunus flying into the air. She landed hard on another building, but recovered in time to avoid Violet's other weighted chain slamming into the building and coating it in ice. "Alex, follow her on the rooftops, everyone else, you're with me on the ground."

"You know this is a trap, right?" Julius said.

"Yup."

"And, you don't care?"

"Nope. Now, let's go."

Alex nodded, splitting his staff in half, the halves forming a pair of large pistols. With his new weapons drawn, Alex used his aura to make a leap onto a rooftop and set off after Blake, opening fire as he did.

Above the battle, Ruby watched through her scope. "Yang, Weiss, they're headed your way, be ready."

"_Got it Ruby, let us know when they get here." _Yang replied.

"Will do." Ruby said. "Might as well take a few more shots before I join them." She muttered, squeezing down on the trigger again, sending shot after shot down to harry Team VOAJ. As she planned, her pot shots only made the exchange team move faster. In less than a minute, they were right where Ruby wanted them. "Yang, Weiss, move now, take down the guy on the rooftops."

Blake sprinted across the roof of a building in a zigzag pattern, ducking, rolling and jumping to avoid the shots fired by her pursuer. Soon enough though, she stopped running, much to the confusion of Alex, who stopped himself, both guns trained on her. Blake smirked and waved to him before a glyph formed beneath her feet and propelled her off the roof. Alex retrained his sights, but before he could fire, Yang surged up onto the rooftop and launched into a series of shots at the red clothed warrior. Alex dodged the flaming projectiles with a backflip and opened fire, several shots missing, but others simply bounced off Yang's aura as she flew at him.

From below, Violet was about to launch a counterattack with her chains, but upon sending one at Yang, the weight slammed into a white, snowflake pattern glyph that blocked the strike. Before she could load up another attack, Blake flew at her from a nearby alley, swinging both the sword and sheathe of _Gambol Shroud _at her. Violet could only dodge the attacks as she was separated from the rest of her team.

Julius made an attempt to aid his leader, but Weiss stopped him in his tracks, flying at him using a propulsion glyph, sword out. Julius managed to parry the first strike, but Weiss wasn't done yet, making several thrusts with her blade in quick succession, rapidly forcing Julius onto the defensive.

Onyx rushed to the aid of his partner, but a sniper round slammed into the ground right at his feet. The black haired brawler turned to see Ruby leap of a nearby building, having used her speed to rejoin her team quicker. The red cloaked girl swung her scythe at Onyx, but the Mistral youth dodged the attack and returned with one of his own, spraying full auto fire from his black gauntlet. Ruby leapt over the bullets and used a shot from _Crescent Rose _to fly at Onyx and kick him square in the face, sending him skidding away from Julius' duel with Weiss.

Watching his partner get caught in a fight with Ruby, Julius knew he had no option but to fight Weiss on his own. "I hoped I would get a chance to impress you."

"Here's your shot." Weiss replied, taking a fencing stance. "Impress me."

Julius smirked, the crystal at the pommel of his sword glowing. Suddenly, the blade of the sword burst into flame, bright fires dancing along the sword as he began t attack, the air in front of Weiss heating up exponentially as Julius made a merciless series of slashes with his blade, a series of attacks that she was forced to dodge.

Nearby, Blake had managed to force Violet into a nearby alley, giving her little room to swing her chains and make attacks. She was just barely able to block or dodge the rapid attacks Blake made with her weapons. Violet realized she was getting absolutely nowhere, and she needed to turn this around. The purple haired girl leapt back from a particularly vicious strike and used her semblance to throw one of her weights at her opponent. The flaming weight struck her, the resulting explosion sending her flying out of the alleyway and into the open street. Violet walked out after her, ready to continue the fight.

Up on the rooftops, Yang exchanged blows with Alex, the Mistral hunter having combined his twin pistols back into his staff. The two seemed evenly matched, especially since both of their semblances were beginning to take effect. As Yang took more and more hits from Alex's staff, she began to glow brighter, and Alex began to give in to his berserker abilities, fighting harder and enduring more as he continued. It seemed to be a contest of whose aura would give out first. In the end, Yang gave one last swing, an aura fuelled left hook right to Alex's jaw, firing her gauntlet blaster as she did, sending the poor boy right off the roof, and dropping his aura into the red zone.

"_Alex Garnett has been eliminated." _A voice over both teams' earpieces said.

Blake rose to her feet to find Violet approaching her, both her weights hovering next to her. She leapt out of the way as her flame weight flew at her, just missing the ensuing explosion. Suddenly, a battle cry drew the attention of both girls to Yang as she leapt off the roof, hair flaming as she flew at Violet. Knowing how much trouble two opponents would be, Violet responded to Yang with a swing of her ice weight, freezing the blonde in a block of ice on contact. While she was distracted, however, Blake took her chance to go on the attack, getting right in Violet's face, not giving her room to use her chains as she swung her sword and sheath in rapid attacks.

Meanwhile, Weiss and Julius were still locked in their duel, Julius' flaming blade and tenacity being evenly matched with Weiss' skill and speed as she parried his attacks. Neither one had thrown up any glyphs yet, but with the time it would take to use one, the other could easily attack and finish their opponent. Space would need to be made. Weiss knew this, and so she was constantly on the lookout for an opportunity to make space to use either her glyphs or dust. Blocking a particularly vicious strike from Julius, the heiress saw her chance, flipping back out of Julius' range, she plunged her blade into the ground just as he renewed his attack, a massive wall of ice catching his blade and holding him in place. Leaping over her new wall, Weiss aimed her sword down as she fell, forcing Julius to abandon his blade or lose.

As the two heirs fought, Ruby and Onyx were also locked in combat, the reaper's speed being enough to avoid the brawler's full auto fire and Onyx's spatial awareness allowing him to dodge Ruby's attacks before they could connect. That said, the use of his semblance was taxing on the Mistral youth who knew he could only keep it up for so long. Ruby, on the other hand, could go all day with her speed, especially since she was aided by her weapon recoil. With a gunshot, Ruby sailed right past Onyx, who just barely managed to dodge, his head throbbing from the sheer amount of information he was receiving. He had no choice at this point. He was forced to rely on only his basic senses.

Ruby was about to launch into another attack, when a cry of pain drew her attention as a smoking Blake flew through the air, Violet having hit her with her chains. _"Blake Belladonna has been eliminated." _The voice confirmed. Violet looked like she was about to launch at Ruby when a battle cry from behind her drew her attention. Turning around, she caught Yang's punch right to the face, the blonde brawler literally glowing with power as she struck, sending the chain manipulator flying into the wall of a building. Yang didn't stop there, surging forward to strike Violet again. As she rose from her stunned stupor, the leader of Team VOAJ could do nothing to avoid Yang's fist smashing into her face, causing her aura to plummet like a stone.

"_Violet Lightwood has been eliminated."_

Julius, having retrieved his blade, knew he had to act fast. His team was now outnumbered and without their leader. Thinking quickly, the Gold heir threw up a protective glyph between himself and Weiss, stopping the charge of the heiress. He then turned to face Yang and gave a swing of his sword, sending a wave of fire at the brawler, knocking her back. Unfortunately, he was unprepared when Weiss mounted another assault, a wave of ice catching him and trapping him from the waist down in ice, dropping his already weakened aura into the red. _"Julius Gold has been eliminated."_

Onyx Blanch stood as the last member of Team VOAJ, the rest of his team having fallen. Before him stood the remaining members of Team RWBY, Yang, Weiss and Ruby herself, each one of them looking ready for battle. Yang charged first, sensing victory, a cocky grin plastered across her face as she raised a fist. Onyx dodged her first punch and returned with one of his own, his white gauntlet, _Rise, _slamming into her and backing up the punch with a bolt of lightning. Yang's already weakened aura couldn't take that much more, dropping into the red. _"Yang Xiao Long has been eliminated."_

Ruby raised her scythe to fire, but Onyx leapt into the air and opened fire with his black gauntlet, _Fall, _full auto fire raining down on her and Weiss as they retreated. The two of them watched as Onyx kept moving, realizing that fighting him on the move would be difficult. They needed to slow him down to land solid hits on him. They both realized the same thing at the same time, and Ruby put it into words. "Ice Flower!"

Weiss nodded and with a wave of her hand a series of snowflake pattern glyphs formed before the barrel of _Crescent Rose, _the younger girl opening fire at their foe, her bullets forming ice crystals wherever they hit, one shot grazing Onyx across the left arm as he tried to dodge, the extra weight dragging him down just long enough for Ruby to fire two more shots, nailing him in the right leg and chest, coating him from the chest down in ice and dropping the remainder of his aura.

"_Onyx Blanch has been eliminated." _The voice announced. _"Team RWBY is victorious."_

At those words, Ruby couldn't stop herself from jumping for joy. "We did it!" She squealed. "Weiss, we did it! We did it! We did it!" she said, pulling the heiress into a sudden embrace. Weiss didn't respond at first, the sheer surprise of it catching her off guard. Before she could say anything, however, Ruby sped back away from her, the young girl's face turning red from embarrassment. "Sorry Weiss..." she muttered.

Weiss rolled her eyes at her partner and leader's childishness. "It's alright, Ruby."

"Uh, g-girls?" Onyx said. The two of them turned to see that he was still encased in ice. "It's n-nice that you two are such g-good friends, but c-could you let me out of here? P-please?"

oxoxoxo

Team EMAD watched Team RWBY's victory with a sense of pride. It was always nice to see friends succeeding.

The team based rounds would continue for the entire day, even as the sun set and day turned to night, the latest round ending as Jaune slammed his shield into an exchange student's face, sending his aura into the red and ending the match. That was when Team EMAD's scrolls buzzed, all the members, including Ben, receiving the message to report to the starboard hatch for their battle. Rising to their feet, the team left their seats and made their way down to the exit hatch. When they got there, Professor Goodwitch was waiting for them. "Are you ready for your match?"

Maria stepped forward. "I'm not sure how I'll fight, but my team is ready for battle."

Goodwitch adjusted her glasses and looked down at her clipboard. "I'm sorry Miss Gaia, but mister Aparte is leading Team EMAD in this battle. I'm sorry, but you still have one more day before your cast is removed, and until then, there isn't very much you can do on your crutches."

"That's absolute bollocks!" Thatch interjected, much to Goodwitch's indifference and Ben's anger. "There has to be something she can do, maybe she can direct us from up here."

"Thatch, shut up." Ben said, putting one of his massive hands on the swordsman's shoulder and hauling him back with his strength. "I can lead you in this fight. I've fought in the Faunus War, saw some of its worst battles. A fight against one other team of hunter students will be nothing to me, and with me leading you, it will be nothing to you too."

"You've never led us in battle." Francois pointed out.

"True," Ben replied. "But after what I've seen and those I've served under, I can learn quickly. Now come on." He said. "We can't keep the other team waiting."

**oxoxoxo**

Caroline looked to the setting sun and let out a sigh of resignation. She and her men had been out all day searching for the lost patrols, but had yet to find any sign of them, as though they had simply vanished off the surface of Remnant. She looked around to all her men, her Caroleans, all of them refusing to show any sign of fatigue, though she could tell they were growing tired after the day's searching. Perhaps it was time to return to base and admit her failure to Derek. She was not looking forward to doing that.

She was about to give the order to pack up and head back to base when one of her men caught her attention. "Commander?"

Caroline turned in his direction. "What is it, private?" she asked, walking toward him.

"Ma'am, I think I found some of the missing men, but you won't like it." He said.

"Show me anyway." Said the lioness.

The Carolean saluted and beckoned for her to follow him. Caroline and her other five men followed the private through the trees until he brought them to a clearing. Caroline looked over the contents of the clearing, knowing that any other person who had seen what she just saw would have been disgusted, shocked, and above all, terrified.

Three of the missing men were here, alright, but there was no point in bringing them back to base in the condition they were in. Their White Fang robes were stained in their own blood as they stood in the middle of the clearing, each one impaled on a ten foot wooden stake, the stake running along their spines, standing them up like macabre trophies, the heads of the stakes jutting through their shoulders. Dried blood ran down the stakes and out of the mouths of the men, indicating that they had been here for quite some time. Caroline looked each of the men in the eye, their faces all contorted in absolute terror and agony, likely still living and screaming as they were impaled. "Who would do such a thing?" She wondered aloud. She knew some humans hated faunus, the White Fang most of all, but she didn't know of any groups who would do this. And even if she did, how would they get out here? This Island was a secret. She made a vow right then to track down the person who did this. They would pay dearly for what they did. "There's no point in bringing them back to base like this." Caroline said, her eyes still not leaving the deceased soldiers. "Take them down from there, we'll give them burials here."

The men were about to get to work, when a noise caught their attention. A rustle of branches and a groan of pain. Immediately, Caroline and her soldiers aimed their weapons at the source of the noise, the sounds having some from the trees behind them. Each one stared at the source of the noise, fingers on the triggers and aim steady. Each one suspected, however, that had he been able to feel fear, he would feel it.

As soon as the source of the noise emerged, however, the soldiers lowered their guns. Emerging from the treeline was another White Fang member, his robes stained with blood that was dripping from his mouth and from several wounds across his body. He shuffled towards his fellows, head held down as he did, groaning in pain the entire time.

One of the Caroleans rushed forward to meet him. "Where have you been, soldier?" He demanded. "We've been looking for you and your men the entire day, what happened to you?" The soldier didn't answer, but the second he was in reach of the Carolean, he reached out and grabbed the blue coated faunus by the shoulders in an iron grip. "What are you doing? Let me go!" he demanded.

The injured faunus didn't reply, but he raised his head in a feral hissing roar, revealing something horrifying to his former fellows: his throat had been torn out, the bloody remains of his neck leaking all over his robes. He reared back to attack his captive, when a shot rang out, a round from Caroline's _Shining Roar _slamming into his skull, the former operative dropping in a heap. The commander moved in to examine her kill, ripping the mask off his face. His expression was vacant beneath the mask, not even pained or shocked from the bullet that tunnelled through his head. "What happened to him?" Caroline wondered.

What happened next did not answer her question.

From all around them, groans of pain just like the now dead White Fang member could be heard along with the shuffling of what sounded like hundreds of feet coming right for them. It seemed like the dead soldier's roar had been the dinner bell.

The Caroleans formed up around their commander, one of them asking "Orders, commander?"

Caroline grit her teeth in thought. "We don't have time to bury these men, we need to retreat. Anything stands in your way, shoot it."


	10. Chapter 7: To the Nicest Places III

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 7**

**I've gotten a few confused messages as to who some of the people are in this chapter, so I should probably mention here, that I did just upload three chapters, the first one introducing the new characters seen in this one. On that note, you should probably take a few minutes to go read those, since not only are new characters introduced, but there's also a pretty sweet action scene in the second one that I must say I'm kind of proud of.**

**oxoxoxo**

Maria Gaia angrily stalked back to her seat just in time to watch as her team's ship left for their battle. She grit her teeth as she knew that this would be the first battle her team fought in that she would have no control over. Even when she was forced to remain at Beacon while the others were aiding Team RWBY in town, she was still with them, even if it was just as a commander through their earpieces. What if Ben proved a better leader than she was? What would her team do if he was?

"Maria?" The centurion turned to see who had called to her to see it was Jaune Arc.

"Jaune?" She replied, moving to sit with the knight and his team. "I saw your last battle, you've definitely improved since you've been here."

Jaune let out a nervous chuckle. "Well, I guess that's why Beacon is known as one of the best places to train hunters."

"That's probably why your partner and I chose this place over Haven back in Mistral." Maria replied, looking past Jaune at her rival and his partner, Pyrrha Nikos.

"Speaking of partners," Pyrrha piped up. "Where is the rest of your team?"

Maria let out an annoyed sigh. "Heading down to the city." She said, pointing out their ship. "I can't exactly fight on this leg, and Goodwitch says I can't lead from up here this time. So, Ben's in charge of EMAD tonight."

"The huge guy in the blue coat?" Jaune asked. Maria nodded. "I don't think I've seen him fight yet, I wonder if he's any good."

"One can only hope." Maria said through gritted teeth.

"Is something on your mind?" Pyrrha asked.

"Nothing important, just wishing I could be out there with my team. I've been stuck on these crutches for too long."

"But don't you get your cast removed tomorrow?" Jaune asked.

Maria nodded. "I still wish I could be out there today, to remind people why I'm the leader of my team."

"No matter what happens out there today, they're still your team, and everyone knows that." Pyrrha reassured, patting her rival on the shoulder.

"Thanks." Maria said. "I think I needed that." The centurion reclined in her seat and stared up at the screen that was now displaying her team as they exited their ship. True to what Jaune had said, she had never seen Ben in combat, or even knew what his weapon did. She could still only hope that whatever it was, or however good he was, that her team would remember that she was their leader. A part of her, however, was still worried. After all, Ben was a trained warrior who had served under one of her idols, Erwin Frundsberg in the Faunus War. Who knew what kind of skills he picked up there.

Would those skills be enough to replace her?

oxoxoxo

Ben led Team EMAD out of the dropship and into the now darkened city, the occasional streetlight and the moon being the only sources of light over the rapidly darkening city. He carried with him a long case, setting it down on the ground, Ben opened it and produced his weapon: his titanic sword, nearly as tall as he was, and considering Ben's impressive height, that was quite a feat. There was a long, tube-like structure running down the core of the blade, a set of grooves along the outside that ran from the top of the blade down to its crossguard and along the handle there were a pair of switches. Ben flicked the first switch and the blade began to glow with a bright white light. "Alright team," he began "Listen up. We have only two minutes to prepare for the battle and we don't even know who our opponent is. Normally I'd suggest we send out scouts to find out about the enemy, but I don't think we have either the speed or the resources to do so. We'll instead stay together and face the enemy as a cohesive unit. Any questions?"

No one said a word. It seemed like a reasonable strategy, the members of Team EMAD worked well together, and Ben could likely find some way to use that cohesion to his advantage. With a collective nod, the four hunters in training advanced into the dilapidated town."Keep an eye out for any movement." Ben said. "If you see something, say something."

This was much easier said than done, as the rapidly setting sun was quickly darkening the city. It was getting to the point that even shadows were becoming hard to see, the streets bathed in near total darkness, the glow coming off Ben's sword the only thing shining any light on the immediate area. "Are you sure you want that thing glowing like that?" Thatch enquired. "You're sort of broadcasting our location."

"That's the plan." Ben said. "The glow draws them out and then we take them down."

The other members of team EMAD exchanged a look, each one knowing just what the others were thinking: this was a good plan, but he could have told them.

Remaining largely silent, Team EMAD made their way further into the town, the only sounds they made being their footfalls.

Little did they know, they were being watched.

Atop the tallest building in the city, Indigo Aesir watched the group through the scope of his sniper rifle, _Jormungadr, _tracking them by the glow of Ben's blade. "Noctus, this is Indigo." He said into his earpiece. "I have a visual on the other team. I'll guide you to them by your scrolls, by the time you reach them, the battle should be about to start. Let's make this quick, I'm tired."

"_You need your beauty sleep?" _Diana asked through her communicator.

"Well, it does take work to be good looking, Diana, you should try it some time." Indigo replied. "Head west from where you are now, you're getting closer to them." With that, Indigo returned to his scope, observing every move of the other team.

Meanwhile, as Team EMAD continued down the street, Alison couldn't shake the odd feeling that she was being watched. "Something's not right." She muttered.

"Shut up." Ben replied.

"I'm serious," Alison whispered. "I think someone's watching us."

"People are watching us, Alison." The soldier replied. "This battle is being broadcast to the other students. Now keep your mouth shut and your eyes open." He hissed.

Thatch looked about ready to tell Ben just where he could go and where he could stick his sword, when an all too familiar voice rang out. _"The battle will begin once contact is made."_

High on his rooftop, Indigo smirked cockily. He was about to make some contact alright. "Noctus, are you in position?"

"_We're ready when you are." _The wolf whispered back.

Indigo stared down the scope of his rifle, his semblance of phase vision allowed him to look not only through the surrounding buildings, but also past the outer layers of the other team. The blue haired sniper discovered through this that one of the members of the other team was wearing armour. Not only that, but he had a scoped carbine in hand, a weapon that could conceivably take him out from that range. _We can't have that, now, can we? _Indigo thought, taking aim.

**(Author's note: Music begins here. Song: Getting Away With Murder by Papa Roach.)**

A shot rang out and Francois hit the ground, a bullet having slammed into his chestplate.

"Sniper!" Ben roared. "Get to cover!"

Alison and Ben sprinted to cover under one of the street's buildings while Thatch ran to Francois and hauled him into their cover. As soon as he made for their cover, however, a massive wall of earth sprang up from the ground, cutting the boys off from the rest of their team. Thatch's eyes sped to one end of the wall where a brunette girl wearing a grey shirt and short black shirt had slammed her hands into the ground, both hands covered in gloves full of dust vials. Thatch opened fire on her, but the girl ducked behind her wall. Thatch was about to run after her when a stream of flames cut across his path. The renegade turned to see his attacker was a boy with short, black hair in black and red camouflage pants and a red leather jacket. He grinned wickedly as he approached Thatch with a pair of swords, one long with a night black blade and the other short, blood red and still smoking from the fire blast it had just shot.

The boy looked like he was about to strike, when two shots from Francois hit him in the torso. The boy responded by pointing his black blade at Francois, the blade opening up to reveal a barrel in the hilt. He was about to fire when Thatch opened fire with _Anne _and _Elizabeth, _forcing him to dodge while the renegade charged. Thatch raised his swords for a strike, but before he could hit his target, the boy rolled out of the way, leaving behind a flaming double of him. Thatch was just able to stop his attack and leap to the side before the flaming clone exploded. The boy moved in for the kill, only to be forced on the defensive as Francois struck with a series of thrusts with _Mademoiselle._

Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall, Alison and Ben were forced out of cover by two attackers. The first was a black haired wolf faunus in a black tank top and blue jeans, and the second was the girl who created the stone wall that separated the teams. The wolf leapt at Alison and immediately forced her to defend with the shaft of _Pianji _while the girl, gloves glowing red, sent a stream of fire at Ben who rolled out of the way, allowing the flames to slam into Alison, considerably dropping her aura and leaving her wide open for the axe wielding wolf.

The wolf howled and leapt at the artist, axe raised, but a bullet slammed into him, the round expanding to the size of a basketball as it did, throwing him back. Alison turned to see her saviour was Ben, the blue coated giant having transformed his sword into a light machine gun, the tube having extended to form the barrel, the crossguard becoming a bipod and a trigger emerging from the handle. Alison was about to thank Ben for her rescue when she noticed the girl charging up another attack. With a swing if her staff, the artist nailed the witch in the chest with a lightning bolt, knocking her back into a wall.

"This isn't working." Ben grumbled, changing his weapon back to sword form and making the blade glow again. "We need to make our team whole again. Before Alison could protest, Ben had wound up a swing and in one motion cut the wall in half, his glowing blade melting through the rock.

Unfortunately, this was exactly what Indigo, up on his tower, wanted. The second the wall went down he zeroed in on Francois who was still locked in a duel with his teammate, Obsidian. "Obsidian, get back." He commanded.

Through the scope of his rifle, he watched as the Grimm hating swordsman leapt back form his duel, the sniper taking his chance immediately, a bullet slamming into Francois and draining the remainder of his aura. The voice in their earpieces spoke out as soon as the nobleman hit the ground. _"Francois Delatrois has been eliminated."_

Obsidian smiled and looked to Thatch. "You afraid yet?" he taunted.

Thatch was about to give him some very choice words on fear, but was forced to shut his mouth and dodge as Indigo kept on firing at him.

"_Obsidian," _Indigo said in the earpiece of his teammate. _"I'll keep him busy, go help the others."_

Obsidian nodded and charged right at Ben, opening with three shots from his black blade. Ben side stepped the first two shots and held his sword out to block the third. As soon as the Grimm hater was close enough, the giant swung his blade, throwing Obsidian to the ground even though he was able to block the strike. The giant looked to where Thatch was pinned down by sniper fire. "Alison, follow the sniper trails, bring him down!"

"I can barely see him!" Alison shot back.

"Just do it! Now! That's an order!"

Gritting her teeth, Alison desperately searched for the trail of one of the sniper shots. She had just found one and was in the process of using her semblance to track its source when she was blindsided by a stream of frost that froze her Zhua to the ground by its ball end. She looked in horror to the source of the blast to see that the wolf had transformed his axe into a shotgun form, wisps of frost still coming off the barrel. Before she could make any move to free her staff, the faunus charged her, forcing her to abandon her weapon as she flipped out of the way of the attack.

"Take the shot already Alison!" Ben shouted, too absorbed in his duel with Obsidian to notice the artist's plight.

Alison, however, was a little busy as she was dodging axe swings, as well as blasts of ice and buckshot from the wolf faunus, as was observed by Indigo through his scope. _"Noctus," _He began. _"Lure her into the open and I'll finish her off."_

The wolf faunus, Noctus nodded, but before he could make a move, Obsidian flew across his field of view, slamming into a wall and slumping to the ground in a heap. The wolf looked to where he had been thrown from to see a smouldering Ben Apart, the giant having literally picked up and thrown the swordsman into the building after he had been scorched by his flame sword. _"Obsidian Thanos has been eliminated."_

His opponent defeated, Ben was about to move on to another opponent when a series of sniper shots forced him into cover. "Alison!" He roared. "The sniper's still up there!" Before a response could reach him, he noticed Alison's Zhua frozen to the ground by its own weight. "Do I have to do everything myself?" Ben growled. Waiting for a pause in the sniper fire, Ben converted his weapon to gun form and opened fire on where the shots came from, the sheer volume of fire forcing Indigo into cover, the expanding rounds Ben's gun fired tearing apart the walls of the building he hid in. Noticing his attack was working, Ben pressed his advantage, continuing to fire. Eventually, he'd tear down the walls of the building and draw out the enemy. Too easy.

At least, that's what he thought before a bolt of lightning struck him in the back and knocked him to the floor. He rose, vision blurry, to see that the brunette girl on the other team was advancing on him. He weakly attempted to raise his blade to fight her off, but before he could she raised her gloved left hand and blasted him point blank with a stream of flames, draining the rest of his aura. _"Ben Aparte has been eliminated."_

"_Nice work, Diana." _Indigo said in her ear.

The dust witch smirked. "Two down, two to go." She said.

Little did she know, Alison had seen what she had done, and had already formulated a plan.

Diana's attention was drawn to the sound of ice cracking, spinning around, she caught sight of the girl on the other team attempting to free her staff from where Noctus had frozen it. "Need some help?" She taunted, raising her glove. Alison looked up in shock and redoubled her attempts to free her weapon. Diana decided not to give her that chance, firing off a blast of flame at the artist.

That was when Alison smiled. All according to plan. As soon as the flames were fired, she used her zhua like a pole vault, leaping over it as the flames melted the ice holding it down. As the ice melted, Alison swung the staff, weight end first at Diana, the dust witch leaping out of the way.

Alison was about to go on the attack when a howl ripped through the air, drawing her attention to a charging Noctus, axe brandished. The wolf, however, was tackled to the ground, mid charge by Thatch, the renegade grabbing him around the waist and throwing him down. Noctus, however, was not about to go down easily, and grabbed Thatch by the scruff of his shirt, his semblance of enhanced strength allowing him to do so easily. Thatch struggled to break free as Noctus loaded up a swing of his axe. Before he could swing, however, Thatch smirked, raising _Anne _and unloading the remainder of her clip into Noctus, point blank.

"_Noctus Lupin has been eliminated."_

Alison and Diana watched Thatch eliminate Noctus with joy and frustration respectively before they returned to their duel. The power of the elements was unleashed as the two of them fought, fire melting through ice, walls of stone blocking lightning bolts, and the buildings around them scarred heavily. The battle came to a close, however, when Alison leapt through a wall of wind Diana had formed, smashing the claw end of her zhua, charged with fire and electricity, right into the dust witch's midsection, draining what remained of her aura. The artist panted in fatigue as the announcement of Diana's elimination was heard.

She was about to search for the sniper again, when something slammed into her, throwing her to the ground as one of Indigo's shots sailed right through where her head was a second ago. Through her fatigue, she felt herself being dragged into cover, her vision clearing enough to see that it was Thatch who had hauled her off. "After that duel," he said "no way I'm letting you get sniped like that."

Alison smiled and blushed slightly at the swordsman's words, hiding it in the darkness.

Up on his tower, Indigo was getting frustrated and running out of ammo. He still had two targets, but after the long battle of keeping his targets pinned down to pick them off, he was beginning to run low, having only one clip left before he's be on his own. There was only one solution. Flicking a small switch above the trigger, his rifle began to give off a blue glow and a high whine. Using his semblance, Indigo took aim at his last two targets behind their wall, squeezing down on the trigger. A blue streak of light flew from the barrel of the rifle, slamming into the wall they hid behind, shattering it to pieces and throwing both of them to the floor. The sniper fired off two more shots, each one hitting dead center chest on one of his stunned targets, dropping them both.

"_Alison Zu and Thatch Edwards have been eliminated, Team INGO is victorious."_

oxoxoxo

When Team EMAD arrived back at the Beacon Airship, Maria was waiting for them. "What was that?" she demanded. Before any of her teammates could respond she put up a hand. "Not the loss, that's acceptable, everyone has one at some point. I'm talking about your leadership." She said, pointing an accusing finger at Ben. "The only strategy I saw you come up with was to draw out the enemy with your blade's glow. By dust, you didn't even keep track of your teammates! Did you even notice Francois' fall, or the fact that as you were giving Alison her orders she was missing her only weapon?"

Ben looked like he was going to try and respond, but before he could say a word, Maria cut him off. "You've been acting superior to my team ever since you arrived here, and I put up with it, asking my team to do the same, even though you were treating them terribly. I put up with it, and with you because I knew who you were. You fought in the Faunus War under a general I idolized, so I thought you'd be like him. But no, you're not. While you may be a skilled fighter, you are no leader, and when I regain control of my team tomorrow, we'll be better for it." With those words, Maria stalked off, the rest of Team EMAD following behind her.

Ben sighed in resignation as he watched them leave. "Troubles, young man?" The giant of a man spun to face the source of the voice, finding it to be Professor Ozpin. "That was certainly bracing."

"Professor." Ben said. "I'm sorry, I'll just be going. I'm sure the next team to fight doesn't need me here to greet them."

"Relax, Ben," Ozpin replied. "The fights for today are over, we're heading back to Beacon now."

"Oh." Ben said. The room was silent for a few seconds as the former soldier and headmaster stared at each other. "She was right, wasn't she?" Ben said at last. "I'm not fit for duty."

"I wouldn't say that." Ozpin responded. "Yes, your leadership in this fight was... less than stellar, but look at it this way. Were you ever trained to be a leader?"

Ben thought about it for a moment. "No, no I wasn't." He realized.

"Indeed." The headmaster continued. "In fact, one could say that in the military you were trained in quite the opposite. You were taught to always follow orders, not to give them, taught to fight alongside others, not at the head of the group. You may have served under a famous general, but his techniques were not passed down through his presence alone, and while I'm sure he would have taught you everything he knows, had he been able to, but after the events of earlier this year, that's no longer an option."

A dark look came over Ben's face as he recalled the letter he had received saying that Erwin had been killed in action. He received more bad news that same day, as he was told that not only was his mentor dead, but he wasn't to tell a soul on pain of death, since Erwin had been killed on a secret mission.

"Maria was right about one thing, however:" Ozpin said, bringing Ben out of his thoughts. "You are a skilled fighter. I watched you cut through a wall of stone in one swing of your blade and duel another student into submission. It takes strength and skill to do both of those. Perhaps you should consider trying to apologize to Team EMAD at some point. Who knows, perhaps there is something they can still do for you."

"Thank you sir." Ben said, giving a slight bow to the headmaster.

Ozpin smiled slightly. "It's no trouble, young man."

Ben stood up straight and gave a salute to the professor before turning to leave. He stopped himself, however, and turned back to Ozpin for just a moment. "Sir, I wasn't aware you were on this vessal."

Ozpin smirked. "I came out here only an hour ago to watch the battles. Team combat is always entertaining as it is a display of both leadership and skill on the battlefield. As for why no one noticed me, well, I wish I had some explanation for that one, but even I can't tell you why."

Ben chuckled at the headmaster's words before turning to leave again. Thoughts of what he would say to Maria and her team flew through his head, but what truly nagged at the back of his mind was what Ozpin meant by there was something Maria could do for him. What could he have meant by that? The massive soldier let out a sigh. Now was not the time to think about that. It had been a long day, and he needed a rest.

oxoxoxo

Caroline had no time to rest as she fired another shot from _Shining Roar, _blowing through the heads of three of the... ghouls... assaulting her and her men. They had been making their way back to the base since sunset, the moon now hanging high in the night sky, attacked the entire way back by the creatures. Their only hope now was to get back to base before they were overwhelmed.

As the ranks of the creatures were finally beginning to thin, a cry of pain caught her attention. She snapped her head in the direction of the cry, seeing that one of the creatures had gotten too close and had sunk its fangs into the forearm of one of her men. Seeing that the creature had no intention of letting go, Caroline fired her weapon, the round tunnelling through the creature's head and sending it to the ground. The bitten Carolean was dragged with it, however, the wounded man screaming in pain. One of his nearby comrades unsheathed his sword, pried the jaws of the deceased creature off his arm and used the blade to cut away his sleeve to expose the wound. Even the untrained eye could see the punctures in his skin made by each individual tooth, the ugly red shade of the skin around the wound made it clear that it was quickly becoming infected. "We need to get him back to base, and quickly." Caroline ordered. "Double time it, let's move!"

Ordering her command, each Carolean took pot shots at the creatures before breaking into a full sprint in the direction of the base, Caroline herself holstering her weapon to pick up the injured man. She was able to identify him almost immediately as the man who had found the corpses of the missing patrol. "Stay with me now." She said. "Stay awake."

"Commander!" He gasped. "It burns, commander!"

"When we get back to base we'll patch you up, for now just stay with me." Caroline took a quick look at the wound, the infection seeming to spread since the last time she looked. "Move, men!" She ordered. "This man needs medical attention!"

Before long, the doors of the base were in sight, Caroline and her men stopping just outside the gate. "This is Commander Caroline Leon," the commander said into her communicator. "We have wounded, open the gates, now." As the massive gates began to slide open, the Caroleans and their leader rushed in, not even waiting for the gates to be fully open. "Close it, quickly!" The lioness commanded. As she heard the gates beginning to close, she and her men rushed into the base, taking the injured man to the medical center. When they got there, however, the medics were not waiting for them. sitting in the otherwise empty medical center was Derek, a bastard sword in his hand.

"How was your search?" He casually asked.

"The missing men are dead," Caroline answered. "And this man needs medical attention."

Derek looked over the men in Caroline's arms, his eyes drawn to the exposed bite mark. "What bit him?"

"What?"

"I asked you a question, girl. What bit him?"

Caroline thought to herself about how to describe their attackers. "They looked like ordinary humans and faunus, but they were..."

"Ravenous?" Derek supplied. "Looked like they were dead?"

"How did you know that?" Caroline asked.

"Young lady, I've been on this island for much longer than you, and I know exactly what happened to this man. Put him down for me."Derek said.

Caroline obliged, setting the man down on the ground. "How can we help him?"

"There is only one way at this point." Derek said. Before Carline could demand a proper answer, Derek drew his blade, a barrel opening on the hilt. With a pull of the trigger, a single bullet fired, tunnelling through the operative's chest. Before the eyes of the other Caroleans and their commander, the man began to burn, his skin blackening from the inside out. Before the remaining soldiers' eyes, the man burned to ashes. Derek sheathed his sword and walked out of the room, leaving Caroline and her men standing over the newly cremated body of their former comrade. "Someone sweep him up!" He ordered.

oxoxoxo

**Updates! Finally!**

**Yeah, I know it took me a while to write these ones, but after I wrote one of these chapters, I knew it wouldn't work without the other ones, but in the end I think it was worth it. We meet a new team, and got some team combat out of it.**

**As usual please leave a review and let me know what you think. The story will only get better through your feedback, people, so please, do talk to me about this.**


	11. Chapter 8: Legacy

**RWBY: Beacon's Fading Light**

**Chapter 8**

**oxoxoxo**

Caroline stood over the ashes of what was once her soldier in shock, her other men standing behind her, all of their eyes locked on the spot where one of their own had once stood. After what felt like an eternity, Caroline rose to her feet and turned to her soldiers. "I want one of you to collect his ashes." She said softly. "We'll give him a proper burial when we get home to Menagerie." The soldiers silently nodded in response. "Evidently," she continued, her voice growing steadily louder as she spoke. "Our employer has not been completely honest with us about what this island holds for us. Therefore, I have a standing order for all of you, as well as every other Carolean currently active, not just here, but across the kingdom: no orders are to be taken from Cinder, Torchwick, Derek or anyone but me until I find out exactly what is out there that they neglected to tell us about." The blue coated soldiers gave a quick salute, their commander nodding in pride of her men's loyalty. "Collect his ashes for a proper burial and then relay that order to all the others, I have a call to make."

"Yes ma'am!" The soldiers replied, several marching out to collect a proper vessel for their fallen brother, while the others formed a protective circle around him, their silent message clear: no one else was to pass but their fellows.

Caroline nodded to her men and stepped out of the room toward her chambers. She was nearly there when a familiar and welcome voice rang out. "Caroline, you're back."

The lioness turned to see her two most trusted companions, the snake faunus sisters, Micca and Wun, both of whom snapped off quick salutes as they approached. "At ease, you two." Caroline said, the sisters immediately relaxing.

"We heard you went out looking for missing men this morning." Micca said.

"And, that you and your men were attacked by... creatures." Wun added.

"You're both right." Caroline said. "My men and I were attacked tonight, and I don't know what it was that did it. I intend to find out, however, and I think I know just who to ask. Come on, you two."

The snake sisters snapped off another salute before falling in step behind the lioness. "Who are we asking?" Wun asked. "Surely we can't just ask Derek, that madman wouldn't even speak to us earlier." The younger, shorter snake clenched her fists at the thought of the head of this facility, Micca putting a hand on her sister's shoulder to calm her down.

"After what he did to one of my wounded men? Not a chance." The commander growled. "No, that man is a monster, and after he executed one of my soldiers, I've issued an order, one that I want you two to obey as well. None of the White Fang under my command are to take orders from Derek until further notice."

"Then who are we going to for answers?" Micca asked.

Caroline smirked. "Oh, I have an idea." She said. "Two of them, in fact." With that, the lioness led her two companions into her quarters and activated the communicator provided to her by the White Fang, the device taking the form of a laptop. Typing a few commands into the communicator, Caroline made her call.

A few seconds later, the screen flashed black before the face of Roman Torchwick appeared before her. _"Hel-oh... it's you..."_ The gangster said, seeming rather annoyed. _"Are you enjoying your assignment as much as I am mine?"_

"What the hell is this place?" Caroline demanded.

"_What, this?"_ Torchwick asked, gesturing all around him to the massive cave he was currently in. _"Well, we're underneath-"_

"I don't care where you are, idiot, I'm asking where I am." The lioness growled, resisting the urge to toss the communicator across the room and shatter Roman's smug visage. "Surely Cinder told you where it is she was sending me, and I want to know just what this place is."

Roman shrugged. _"Sorry big kitty, I have no idea."_

"What did you just call me?"

"_Nicknames aside," _Torchwick continued, ignoring the lioness' rage _"Why wouldn't Cinder tell you where she was sending you?"_

"Your guess is as good as mine." Caroline growled. "How do you trust her?"

"_I don't trust anyone who makes more money than I do." _Roman replied.

"I'm serious. She'll leave us both for dead in a heartbeat."

"_Then gripe at her about it, I've got work to do up here and if I don't do it, then I don't get paid."_

With those words, Roman disconnected the call, leaving Caroline, Micca and Wun staring at a blank screen. Caroline immediately began typing in commands again. "There is still one call I can make..." she muttered as the call began to connect.

It was nearly half a minute later before the call was connected. The screen flashed black for a moment before the face of Cinder Fall appeared on it. _"Caroline, as much as I do love the sound of your voice, you'd better have a good reason for calling me on a Beacon Academy ship."_

"Good evening to you too, Cinder." Caroline responded. "I think you owe me some answers about what exactly you've thrown me into."

"_And if I decide not to tell you?"_

"Then I have one of my beautiful snake sisters here deliver an anonymous tip that three of Beacon's students are actually in league with Roman Torchwick." The lioness gave a dastardly smile as she delivered her threat. "It may take them a while to discover that it's you, and by then you'll be across the kingdoms, but they'll all know your face by then. So, what's it going to be?"

Cinder frowned. _"Very well, Caroline, if it will please you, I'll tell you all you need to know."_

"Start at the beginning:" Caroline instructed. "What is this place, and what are those creatures outside?"

oxoxoxo

The next day was an average day for Beacon's students, or at least as average as days at Beacon get, and to many seemed to pass remarkably quickly, as students sat in professor Ravencroft's evening class, learning about the culture of Atlas. "In ancient Atlas, it was required of all men to join the army for a period of at least five years, during a period of Atlas' expansion against neighbouring tribes. While that particular example of foolish savagery is no longer practiced in Atlas, we can still see much of that militarism in today's Atlesian culture, with its heavy emphasis on military might, and the fact that two Atlesian generals brought an entire fleet to our academy." The black dressed professor said, more than a hint of bitterness in her voice. "Unfortunately, that's all the time we have left for today. Class dismissed." The students began to rise, but as one in particular stood up from his seat, the ebon haired professor spoke again. "Not you, Mister Arc. I'd like a word with you."

"Me?" Jaune asked, gulping and gesturing to himself. There was almost no one he dreaded being alone with more than Elaine Ravencroft. She had only been here for a short time, and in that time she had shown a heavy amount of disdain for nearly every student in her class, as well as the school itself, and her withering glare reminded him all too much of professor Goodwitch, but with a very noticeable hint of madness.

"Do you see another Arc in this class?" She asked, her voice seeming to drop. "And before any of your teammates say a word, I'd like to speak to you alone."

Jaune gulped again and made his way to the front of the class, shooting one last look to Pyrrha as though it would be his last. And knowing Ravencroft, it just might be.

Pyrrha looked back to him and nodded, signalling that she believed in him. Jaune nodded back as the classroom doors closed. With a deep breath, Jaune turned to face the professor, feeling like an insect under her gaze.

"Relax, you coward." Ravencroft groaned. "I'm not going to kill you."

"You... You're not?"

"Would you rather I did?"

"No... please no... ma'am." Jaune muttered, the feeling of a slab of concrete in his gut.

"She's not going to kill you Mister Arc." Said a new, and all too familiar voice from behind the knight. Jaune turned to see just who he expected to see. "I'd like a word with you, Jaune." Said Erik Fantine. "Walk with me, will you?"

"Uh, alright sir." Jaune said, following the black cloaked professor as he stepped into the hall. "Uh, sir? Can I ask what this is all about?"

"You may ask all you like," Fantine replied. "However, I will only tell you when we reach my office. It isn't too far from here so it shouldn't take long."

Jaune was silent after that as the two of them made their way through the halls of the academy. It was then that Jaune noticed something. "Wait, I recognize this route."

"You should." Fantine responded, not turning to face the knight as they continued. "We're going exactly where you think we are." Jaune was going to demand to know how Fantine knew what he was thinking when the phantom stopped and turned to face him. "You recognize this door, I assume?"

The knight could only nod as he looked at the familiar runed door to the office of Curtis Marlow. "What are we doing here?" He demanded. "Marlow isn't here anymore."

"This is true, Jaune." Erik replied. "However, have you ever wondered why it is that Professor Marlow isn't returning?"

Jaune opened his mouth to give Fantine an answer, but he soon realized something. "You never told us why he wasn't coming back."

"You're right, I didn't." The phantom said. He reached into one of the many pockets on his coat and produced a key. Inserting the key into the lock on Marlow's office door, he turned it and the door soon opened. The phantom flicked on a light switch and gestured inside.

Jaune stepped into the veteran's former office to find it nearly exactly as it was when he had last seen it. The heads of dead Grimm still lined the walls with the weapons used to kill them lying beneath them, with Marlow's desk still sitting in its usual place. "Professor, why are we here? And what happened to Professor Marlow?"

As an answer, Fantine held out a hand holding two objects to the knight. The first was a small key, and the second was an envelope with his name on it. "Read the letter. Whatever answers it doesn't give, I will." As Jaune took the letter and the key, Fantine turned and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Jaune was left with his own thoughts and the silence of the now empty office. Placing the key on Marlow's desk, Jaune took a seat in his chair and opened the letter, his hands trembling with excitement as he pulled out the folded sheet of paper within. He debated for a moment on whether or not to open the letter, weighing the possibilities of what it said in his mind. Eventually, his curiosity got the better of him, and he unfolded the letter.

_Jaune_

_I'm not sure when, if ever, you'll get this letter, but you deserve to._

_You already know I served with your father Arthur in the last Grimm Incursion, and that I was there on the day he died. Just writing this now brings back memories of that fateful day at Ognoc._

_After your father died, I brought what should be your inheritance to your mother, hoping she would pass it on to you, but she asked that I keep it, and give it to you when you came of age. So now, I believe you are ready to take what is rightfully yours. _

_When you receive this letter, it should be with a key, and that key will unlock the bottom drawer of my desk. Its contents are yours for the taking._

Jaune stopped reading there, his curiosity getting the better of him as he picked up the key he had placed on Marlow's desk. He pushed the chair back away from the desk and knelt down to face the bottom drawer. Taking a deep breath, the young knight pushed the key into the lock. He paused for a moment. Anything could be in this drawer. For all he knew it could be an admission that he wasn't the true son of Arthur Arc. No, it couldn't be that, that was ridiculous. Still, whatever it was that was in the drawer, it was better to find out what it was now, rather than later. Steeling himself for whatever he would find, Jaune turned the key in the lock and, without hesitation, pulled open the drawer. Instantly, the office was bathed in light, the glow coming from the drawer. However powerful the light was, however, all Jaune could do was stare at its source, its brilliance transfixing him.

"Breathtaking, isn't it?"

Jaune's head snapped up to see that Professor Fantine had entered the office. "I didn't hear you come in, sir." He admitted.

"I'm not surprised." Fantine replied. "After all, you've been staring into that drawer for an hour now. You're going to be late for your meeting with Miss Nikos."

"Oh dust! You're right, I'd better... Wait, how did you know that I was training with Pyrrha?" Jaune demanded.

Erik shrugged. "You just admitted it. Either way, you should take that and the letter with you. There's a crate big enough to carry it in sitting in the corner of the room. I made sure of it."

Jaune looked behind the desk to the back corner of the office to see that there was, indeed, a wooden crate just big enough to carry his inheritance. "Professor Fantine," He asked. "Why did my mom want Marlow to hold onto this for so long? Why not just give it to me?"

The black robed professor merely shrugged. "I don't know, Jaune, but whatever the reasons, it's yours now." With those words, Fantine turned and walked towards the door.

"Professor, wait!" Jaune cried, stopping him in his tracks. "What happened to Professor Marlow? Why wasn't he the one to give me this?"

Fantine sighed, unable to look Jaune in the eye. "You remember the explosion last semester? The one that let loose those cave Grimm?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

Fantine was silent for a moment, as though unsure of what he was saying. "Marlow... he set that off. It was meant to distract students and teachers alike while he spoke to Ozpin at sword point."

Jaune gaped at Fantine's words. "No... He wouldn't do that... He couldn't..."

"He would," Fantine confirmed "And he did. I tried to stop him, and it nearly cost me my life." When Jaune didn't reply to him, the phantom continued. "Jaune, when Marlow returned from that fateful mission in the Incursion, he didn't come home whole. He was a changed man, part of him having died that night along with your father. When that happened, a darkness was awakened in him, a darkness that lives in all of us that we repress, lest we become no better than the very Grimm we fight. That night, when he was sure that the Arc legacy would die with your expulsion, he lost control of that darkness." Erik paused for a moment as he remembered that night when the man who was once his trusted colleague and friend tried to kill him. He remembered the look in his eyes when they fought, the feral darkness that resided there. His mind then flashed to the look in his eyes when they last spoke, when Marlow called him from the prison, the flat and dead look that made Erik die a little inside as well. As much as they had exchanged barbs and even blows, it still hurt him to see his friend like that. "I still haven't answered your question of where he is, have I?" He took a deep breath before continuing. "No need to worry, boy, he isn't dead. Marlow is serving a prison sentence for what he did. I don't know when he'll be released, as he was tried in secret and imprisoned without a word." With that final line, Fantine strode to the door and stepped through it, pausing outside Marlow's office to look at Jaune for a moment. "Take care, Mister Arc."

Jaune barely heard those words and scarcely noticed the door shutting as the professor left. He sat looking over his inheritance for a few more minutes before he rose to his feet. He should probably pack this up now if he wanted to make it to his training session with Pyrrha.

oxoxoxo

The inn _A Rest for the Weary _was mostly quiet this late in the evening, and the owner, Mary Ebonwood, reflected on this as she looked over the mostly empty lobby of her establishment. A few men sat at some of the scattered tables, drinks in hand, but aside from them, the inn was mostly empty. Mary let out a yawn as she polished a glass behind the bar. If she didn't know just who would be here soon, she'd probably close the inn's bar early for the night, but one of the people paying a visit tonight was rather important to her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a tug at her shirt. She looked to the source to see a young, black haired wolf faunus girl, one that she recognized from earlier that very day. "Nyx, what are you doing down here at this hour?"

Nyx put her hands on her hips and pouted slightly. "It's not that late." She grumbled.

Mary looked at her watch for a moment before looking back to the young girl. "It's almost nine, girl."

Nyx pouted and looked at the ground. "I can't sleep."

The innkeeper shook her head and smiled. "You should still be in your room, Nyx. Imagine what your brother would say if he knew you were out here."

"He wouldn't be happy." Nyx muttered.

"Exactly." Said Mary. "Now run along back to your room, alright?"The innkeeper chuckled slightly as the young faunus girl pouted before scampering off to her room. Her attention was then drawn to the front door opening as two people entered. The first she recognized, his black coat, hair and tricorne hat making him easily distinguishable, the other was a black haired girl in red robes with a green leather chestplate. "Thatch!" She greeted upon seeing the boy. "How are you, boy!"

"I'm alright, mum. Our team's fearless leader's back on her feet again." Thatch said, walking up to the bar and hugging his mother over it. "She actually asked me to come down here tonight, check on that thing I left here with you." Mary instantly knew what Thatch was talking about. Not too long ago, he had asked her if he could store something in the back of her inn. She wasn't expecting, however, for that something to be a massive White Fang armoured personnel carrier.

Mary leaned in close to her son and whispered "You mean that thing you left in the back?"

"Yeah," Thatch whispered back. "That's the one. We didn't have much time to search it before."

"I see." Mary said, returning to her original posture behind the bar. "And who's this pretty young lass?" she asked.

Thatch turned to the girl he walked in with who looked like she was trying to hide her face as he introduced her. "Mum, this is my teammate, Alison Zu. Alison, this is my mother, Mary Ebonwood."

Mary offered the oriental girl a hand, one she gladly accepted, smiling as Mary gave her a rough handshake. "Pleased to meet you, lass. Any friend of my son's is a friend of mine."

"Thanks." Alison said softly as Mary released her hand.

Mary smiled and looked past Alison for a second, her expression souring slightly. "Uh, Thatch, you think you could work your magic before you head out back?"

Thatch followed his mother's gaze and immediately saw what she meant. Toward the back of the room, a pair of clearly drunk patrons had started a shouting match, seeming to be only moments away from blows. The renegade sighed. "I'm on it." He said, standing up. "Oy, you two!" He shouted. Both patrons turned to face him. Thatch's eyes glowed red for a faction of a second as he spoke again. "Play nice."

Mary chuckled as the two patrons hastily nodded and left the bar, stammering apologies the whole way. "Many thanks, son. Now feel free to go search."

Thatch nodded and headed towards the back of the inn. "Thanks mum. I'll be back soon."

"I'll make sure your friend stays in one piece." Mary called to her son. When she heard the back door shut, she turned back to the quiet artist who was still just standing awkwardly by the bar. "Take a seat, girl." Mary said, gesturing to one of the many seats by the bar. "I bought these seats for a reason, you know."

"Oh, uh, thanks..." Alison said, awkwardly taking a seat. "So, you're Thatch's mother?"

"You don't see the family resemblance?" Mary said, running a hand through her pitch black hair and showing off a cocky grin that looked a lot like the boy she had come to know. She certainly bore more than a slight resemblance to the renegade, and the accent she had was unmistakeable.

Alison looked the woman over. In truth she did bear quite the similarity to Thatch. That was when she realized something. "Wait, if you're his mother, why do you have a different last name to him?"

Mary sighed and looked up wistfully. "It seems like so long ago I met his father, Captain Bartholomew Edwards of the airship _Primo Victoria. _I met him when his ship docked in Vale when I was just starting this inn. He was one of my first customers when I first opened, saying that he was looking for a reasonable price. I agreed and let him stay here, along with his crew." She chuckled slightly at the memory. "He gave the lot of them a speech about how none of them were to touch me, else they'd be on cleanup duty for a year."

Alison couldn't help but laugh along with the innkeeper at that. "So what happened next?" She prompted, interested.

Mary shuddered slightly at the next memory. "I had stepped out of the inn to buy groceries for myself. By the time I got back to the inn, it was growing dark and I was in a hurry to get home and sleep. Unfortunately, I was seized by a group of lads who had their eyes on my money, along with... other things..." She said darkly. "Two of them held me back as I screamed for help. I was sure I would die that night, but before any of the other men could lay a hand on me, Bartholomew was there, fighting them off with ease. I watched in awe as those who didn't run away in terror were cut down where they stood. Bartholomew helped me to my feet and walked me back to the inn after that, where I thanked him, telling him that his visit would be free of charge. Do you know what he said after that?" Alison shook her head before Mary continued. "He told me to keep my money, that I was just starting my business and that I would need it. I told him he should at least have a few drinks at the bar on the house, and to that he agreed." Mary smiled again. "He stayed here for just over a month, and we became rather... close... during that time. When he finally had to leave, he told me he would return some day." As the innkeeper spoke, her face fell slightly.

"He hasn't come back yet, has he?" Alison asked.

"No, he hasn't." Mary said sadly. "Soon after he left, I discovered I was pregnant. Thatch was born soon afterwards, and the second he was, I called Bartholomew. He was so excited at the thought of having a son that he told me he would cut his voyage short just to come see him." Her face darkened as she continued. "I waited days before I heard from him again, telling me he was on his way and that he couldn't wait to see me and our son. A day later, I found out his ship crashed. The _Primo Victoria _went down over North-Eastern Vale. There were reported to be no survivors."

The bar felt silent after what Mary said, Alison absorbing all the information the older woman told her. It felt like hours before she spoke again. "Does Thatch know?" The artist asked.

Mary shook her head. "I could never bring myself to tell him, though every time I look at him, it's as though I'm looking a Bartholomew all over again, that's why I gave him his father's last name."

"You've never told him?"

Mary sighed. "He asked once, when he was much younger, but I told him I was busy. He hasn't mentioned it since then."

Neither one said anything after that, an awkward silence settled in over the two of them, weighing down on their shoulders as the gravity of what Mary said sank in. Thatch had no idea who his father was, and his mother had kept it from him his entire life. After what seemed like forever, Alison spoke up. "Are you ever going to tell him?"

The renegade's mother looked down at the counter of her bar. "I don't rightly know, lass. I just don't know." The older woman looked up and looked Alison in the eye. "Listen well, girl. I wouldn't tell this story to just anyone. I only told you because you seem to share quite the connection with my son."

Alison's face went tomato red as she tried to form a proper sentence. "What? How did you... Why would you think..."

Mary smiled. "When you looked at him, I saw the same look I had when I knew his father, and the last time he was here, he told me about his team. You were the one he spent the most time on, more than even his own partner."

"That might be because he hates his partner..." Alison muttered.

"Or because he fancies you." Mary said, Alison's face reddening even further.

As the artist tried to form some form of coherent sentence, the back door to the inn opened again and Thatch walked in. "Those nutters might have thought they were good, but they left a little something behind in the truck." Thatch said, holding up a few sheets of paper. It was then that he noticed his mother attempting to hold back laughter while Alison looked away from her, her face red as she looked down, a comically embarrassed pout on her face. Thatch sighed. "Mum, what did you do."

"Nothing important, son." Mary said, smirking. "Anyway, it's getting late, so the two of you should probably be heading back to Beacon. Unless you'd like to stay here for the night, I think I have one room I can spare."

"We'refinelet'sgonow!" Alison blurted out, jumping out of her seat and grabbing her teammate, and dragging him out the door with a speed that would impress Ruby.

"Don't be strangers, you two!" Mary called after them, chuckling to herself as she did. "Ah, young love."

oxoxoxo

Something was off about Jaune and Pyrrha knew it.

It had all started when he was not only late for their usual training atop Beacon's rooftop, but also carrying a long crate, saying that he didn't have time to drop it in their room. She accepted what he said, after all, he did have to go talk to professor Ravencroft after class, maybe the professor had told him to hold onto the crate. Her worries only continued when Jaune was unable to land so much as a single blow on her, no matter how easy she would make it, or how slow she would move. Finally, having had enough of the knight's distracted mood tonight, Pyrrha slammed her shield into his chest and sent him sprawling. Walking over and putting a boot on his chestplate, Pyrrha looked her partner in his eyes. "Jaune, something's wrong here."

"What, I... I don't know what you're talking about." Jaune stammered. He tried to look his partner in the eyes, but just couldn't meet her gaze. "Okay, yeah, maybe something's up..."

"You got that right." Said a new voice. Jaune and Pyrrha both turned to the source of the voice to see that Maria was leaning against the door to the rooftop in full armour, her crutch nowhere in sight. "You barely even touched her, and she was going REALLY easy on you."

"Maria?" Pyrrha said. "You're out of your cast."

The centurion smirked and walked toward the knight and Amazon. "Just got it off today, thought I'd take a walk and get used to having two legs again."

Pyrrha smiled at her rival. "You're not going to go charge an army of giant Grimm on your own again, are you?"

Maria chuckled and stopped walking for a moment, pulling her skirt up slightly to reveal an ugly brown scar on her left leg, just below the knee where the Nevermore's feather had pierced her leg. "I'm not trying that again until I graduate. I've got a rather lovely reminder not to do that now."

"Ouch." Jaune said, looking at the scar (and not just looking at Maria's legs).

"And you didn't have to walk around with that since the "Battle of Beacon."" Maria reminded him. "Anyway, Pyrrha's right, something's up with you. She was trying to let you win that one, and you didn't even notice. Seriously, you're even worse than usual."

"Maria!" Pyrrha snapped.

"Tell me I'm wrong and I'll take it back."

Pyrrha opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't say a word. Maria was right. "Jaune, you know that if something's bothering you, you can talk to me."

Jaune sighed. "I know, and I really should tell SOMEONE about this, if only to get it off my chest." With that, the knight got to his feet and walked over to the long crate he had brought out with him. "Professor Ravencroft told me to sta after class today, but only because Professor Fantine wanted to talk to me. He gave me this, told me it was my 'inheritance.'" Jaune sighed before he began to open the crate. "It used to belong to my father."

With that, Jaune pried the lid off the crate, a brilliant light shining out from inside, Pyrrha and Maria gaping at the glowing contents of the crate, trying to discern just what was causing that glow. They didn't need to wait long.

Jaune reached into the crate and produced the source of the glow. Maria and Pyrrha could only stare at it. It was beautiful. Jaune's inheritance was a sword, but not just any sword. The sword's blade was four feet long, and two inches wide with an extra foot of handle, topped off with a pommel that bore the Arc family crest. The blade seemed to glow from within, illuminating the night with its light, lines of different colours snaking around the blade from handle to tip, shining to the rest of the world before seeming to disappear entirely. Jaune closed his eyes and concentrated deeply on the blade, causing the light to dim as he did. "This was my father's blade, the one he used in the Grimm Incursion. This blade was specially crafted for him, meant to be handed down to me when I became a huntsman." Jaune paused for a moment as he looked at his reflection in the immaculate blade, his reflection meeting his eyes as he stared at the blade. He broke his stare and looked back to the two girls watching him. "The note I got with it called it _Excalibur."_


	12. Chapter 9: Legacy II

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 9**

**oxoxoxo**

Jaune sheathed _Excalibur _and placed it back in the crate before turning to face the two girls on the roof with him. "So your father used that sword?" Pyrrha asked.

"According to Fantine, yeah, it was his." Jaune said, looking down at the sheathed blade in the crate at his feet. "It's funny, I remember him having a sword about this size around the house, but he never told us its name or drew it."

Maria frowned and crossed her arms. "Why is that?" She mused.

Jaune shrugged. "I never really thought about it until now. Maybe the sword does something he didn't want us to see."

"If he wanted you to inherit it though, then why would he hide it?" Pyrrha asked.

The knight sighed. "I'd ask him if I could, but that's not exactly an option anymore."

"No," Said Maria "But I know someone you could ask if you want to know a bit more about the blade."

Jaune looked strangely at her. "Who's that?"

Maria smirked and pulled out her scroll.

oxoxoxo

In Team EMAD's room, Francois Delatrois set up his scroll in video call mode, setting it down on his bedside table and making a call. The screen flashed black for a second before an incredibly welcome face occupied it. _"Francois!" _Velvet said as the call was connected. _"It's so good to see you again."_

"_Moi aussi, mon cherie." _Francois replied, giving the faunus girl a smirk and a wink. "How is the mission going?"

Velvet grimaced slightly at his question. _"There are a lot of Grimm in this place."_ She said, noticeably fatigued. _"It seems the mission will take longer than expected."_

"_Je m'excuse, mon cherie, _I wish you a luck."

Velvet smiled. _"Thank you Francois. To be honest, you're my biggest motivation right now."_

"Really?" The nobleman replied, confused. "How so?"

Velvet beamed at him. _"I know that once this mission is over I'll get to see you again, it gives me something to come home to."_

Francois returned her smile. "And when you do return, I will await you with open arms."

"_And you'll tell me what that phrase means when I get back."_

"But of course, _mon cherie, _anything for you."

The faunus girl gave the nobleman a smile from across the screen before she let out a yawn. _"I should go for tonight. It's been a long day and I can see Coco giving me her look."_

"_Mon dieu, _You can't fight the look." Francois quipped. _"Bon nuit mon cherie."_

"_Bon nuit Francois." _Velvet said_, _With that, the faunus girl waved goodbye, smiled and closed the call.

Francois let out a contented sigh as he lay back on his bed, barely noticing when the door opened and his partner entered. "I know that look." Thatch said, looking at the nobleman. "That's an 'I just got off the scroll with Velvet' look."

Francois rolled his eyes and sat up to look at the renegade. "Because you, _mon ami _are such an expert in the face of a man after talking to a woman."

"Tell me I'm wrong and I'll take it back."

"The same to you."

Neither one spoke for a moment as both boys took the time to glare into the eyes of the other. Finally, after what felt like an hour, both let out a snort of laughter. "It seems every time we talk I manage to simultaneously hate and respect you even more Noble Boy." Thatch chuckled.

"That makes two of us." Francois replied. "Speaking of twos, where is Alison? Weren't you two supposed to search the truck we took from the White Fang?"

Thatch nodded and produced the papers he had taken from the APC. "I searched it and found these there. When the girls get back, we'll go over them and report our findings to Team RWBY."

"I see." Francois mused. "I do still wonder why Alison isn't with you still. Did you attempt to flirt with her and embarrass her into leaving you?"

"Very funny." Thatch deadpanned, the nobleman bursting out laughing at the clearly not amused expression on his face. "Really. She got a call from our fearless leader, saying she needed her eye for detail."

"An eye for detail that missed the incredibly obvious feelings you have for her." Francois retorted.

"Shut up Noble Boy."

"And he doesn't even have a comeback?" Francois said, feigning shock. "I think I'm winning here."

Thatch rolled his eyes. "Isn't there something else we can do aside from make fun of me?"

"Perhaps." Francois responded, reaching into his bedside table and producing a deck of cards. "Tell me, _monsieur, _how is your poker face? If the grin on your face is any indication, I have already won this as well."

oxoxoxo

Alison stepped out onto the rooftop to be greeted by her partner, her rival and Jaune. "You didn't say what you needed me for, Maria."

"I didn't, but I think you'll understand why when I show you what I want you to look at for me." Maria responded.

Before Alison could ask any other questions, Jaune reached into the crate he still had and produced _Excalibur, _the glowing blade illuminating the rooftop and making Alison's eyes go wide. "This was once my father's blade." Jaune said, showing off the sword. "Unfortunately, none of us know anything about it, and when I got it as my inheritance, it didn't exactly come with an instruction manual or any sort of description."

"We were hoping you could have a look at it, give us your opinion." Pyrrha explained to the artist.

Alison stepped up to Jaune and held out her hand to accept the blade. Jaune complied by dropping _Excalibur _in her hands. The artist immediately took the sword by the handle and began looking over the blade. "I could tell you how it was made, but I'm not sure what other help I can be." She muttered, eyes never leaving the blade. "After all, the act of forging a blade is an art in itself."

"So you can tell me what it does?" Jaune asked, excited.

"I don't... maybe... let me see..." Alison said, eyes glowing slightly blue as her semblance activated. "It's forged in Damascus pattern, folding the metal over itself and then twisting it before forging..." Alison noted.

"How can you tell?" Pyrrha asked.

Alison pointed out the pattern along the blade. "Look at the spiral patterns on the sword. It's odd though, it seems that there's dust forged into the blade."

"Well, we could tell that by the glow and the colour." Jaune said.

Alison shook her head, however. "No, Jaune, you don't understand. A lot of weapons use dust or maybe have a dust crystal in them to power them. This one is different. It looks like when the metal was folded, the smith folded an entire layer of crystal into it."

"So what are you saying?" Asked Maria.

"I'm no expert, I'm just going with a theory here." Alison said, nervous upon realizing all eyes were on her right now.

"You have more than any of us right now." Pyrrha reassured.

"She's right, Alison." Maria said, nodding. "You can see more of this sword than any of us, so you know more than we do."

Alison gulped and continued. "Well, you notice the lined of colour running up and down the blade? If I had to guess, I'd say that each one is a different type of dust."

Maria took a step back from Jaune and the blade. "Wouldn't the blade be volatile if there's that much dust forged into it?" She knew just how much power there was in a single dust crystal, she dreaded to think about how much there was in that sword.

"You would think so..." Alison said, looking over the blade. "But despite how sturdy this blade is, there are signs of use on it, so it's seen action and it obviously didn't explode."

"So what does it do?" Jaune wondered aloud.

Alison shrugged. "I can't really say. Professor Marlow could probably tell you though, right?"

"She's got a point, Jaune." Said Pyrrha "Marlow did say he was on your father's team, surely he'd know what this sword does."

Jaune bit his lip in thought. None of these girls knew what happened to Marlow after last semester, he'd just found out a few hours ago. Would it really be a good idea to tell them what happened to him? What would they say? "Uh... I'm sure I can get in contact with him somehow." The knight said, taking the blade from Alison and placing it back in the crate he took it from. "Maybe Fantine can help. He knew Marlow pretty well, maybe they talked about it."

"What do you mean he "knew" Marlow?" Maria asked.

Jaune chuckled nervously. "Did I say that? I must be really tired. It's been a really long day, maybe it's time to turn in for the night. Good night ladies." Jaune said, falling over his words as he picked up the crate and ran, leaving three thoroughly confused girls in his wake.

oxoxoxo

Meanwhile, Thatch and Francois had gotten pretty far into their poker game, Thatch being the obvious winner so far, his pile of chips being far larger than his partner's. "It seems I misjudged you, _mon ami." _Francois said as Thatch took another hand.

"That you did, Noble Boy, that you did." The renegade responded, taking the chips. "I should have warned you, I played a lot of poker when I worked on airships."

"_Vraiment?"_

"_Oui, monsieur."_

Francois blinked at Thatch's response. "When did you learn to say that?"

Thatch shrugged. "I've been around you for a while. How about another round?"

"Perhaps," Francois said, picking up the deck and shuffling. "But shall we make this match a little more, how you say, interesting?"

Thatch cocked his head and looked somewhat strangely at his partner. "Define interesting." Francois smirked, a smirk that made even Thatch, the boy with the power of fear, somewhat nervous. "Please tell me you're not talking about..."

Francois' smirk dropped almost as fast as it appeared. "No no no, not that." He assured. "We play for, how you might say, pride."

"Alright, I'm listening." Thatch said, eager for any chance to make the nobleman squirm.

"We each place a challenge on the other for each round." Said Francois. "The loser has to perform his challenge for the winner."

"Alright," Said Thatch. "Make your offer."

"My offer is this:" The nobleman began "If I win, you have to find our favourite shy girl and ask her to the upcoming dance."

Thatch applied hand to face. "Really? You're back on this?"

"You can deny it all you like, _mon ami, _but that won't make it any less true that you want her."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" Thatch said, exhausted.

"Not until you admit I'm right." Francois said with a smirk.

"Prove it then." Thatch said, crossing his arms.

"Well, it's hard to ignore how pleasant you are around her, especially considering how you act around most people."

"She's a good person, and I save the snark and sarcasm for people who deserve it. Like you."

"What about what happened when Cardin told you he thought she had a perfect ass?"

"Well no one ever proved it was me who gave him that black eye..."

"There was what happened during the food fight."

Thatch had no response to that one.

"Tell you what, Thatch, if you win, I'll never bring this up again for the rest of our time at Beacon." Francois offered.

"Oh, I'll need a bit more incentive than that to enter this game." Thatch replied.

Francois scratched his head. "You are aware that my family is, how you might say, affluent?"

"What are you offering me? Money? One of those _Stallions?_"

"Better." Francois said with a smirk. "If you manage to beat me, I will divulge to Velvet, while you watch, the exact number of my family's servant girls and maids I have attempted to seduce."

Thatch looked his partner over for some clue that he was joking. He wouldn't lie, that prospect did seem attractive to him, watching the nobleman attempt to tell his girlfriend how many other girls he'd attempted to woo, many of whom likely still served his family. "Alright Noble Boy, you're on."

Francois smirked wider as he dealt out the cards. Five cards to each of them.

Thatch looked over his cards with a critical eye. His face remained completely still, even as he looked over the three aces he held. With a completely neutral expression on his face, he handed in his other two cards, a nine and a seven. Upon receiving two other cards in exchange, Thatch mentally smirked as he looked over a pair of tens. His expression, however, remained neutral as Francois also turned in a pair of cards for a new pair. When neither one played another card, they both smirked.

"You first, _mon ami." _Francois said.

Thatch grinned as he played his full house, three aces and two tens. "Read 'em and weep, Noble Boy."

"My my, but that is quite the hand." Francois said, looking at the cards his partner played. He then smirked and played his own hand. "However, I still win. Four of a kind." Thatch looked down in disbelief and rage at the four twos that his partner had played. "Now, I do believe that you have something to ask someone."

Thatch's response was to grumble something under his breath.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Francois asked.

Thatch mumbled what he said a bit louder this time.

"Thatch, if you have a problem, then you should tell me what it is."

"Bloody hell, just come closer and I'll tell you." Thatch growled. Francois rolled his eyes and sat closer to his partner.

When Thatch whispered his complaint in his partner's ear, the nobleman burst out laughing. "Worry not my friend, I can help you with this little problem."

"Fine... But if anyone finds out about this, I'll make what I did to Cardin look soft."

oxoxoxo

Maria and Alison walked through the halls of Beacon on their way back to the dorm when they were stopped by someone rather unexpected. "Maria, wait!"

The girls turned around to see the massive frame of Ben Aparte approaching them. "What is it Ben?" Maria shot back. "You don't have power over my team anymore, and if you didn't notice, it's late and I need sleep."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Ben said, looking at the ground. "The way I treated your team was... harsh, and I wanted to apologize for that. I suppose that it's sort of in my nature, having been raised by... harsh parents, and having served in the military."

Maria folded her arms as Alison moved to stand behind her, whether in support or fear was uncertain. "Ben, you treated my team like expendable grunts to be thrown into battle and tossed aside afterwards. I know you were treated badly by your family, and life in the military during the Faunus War could not have been easy, but that does not give you the right to take that out on my team." The colossal soldier hung his head in shame as the centurion kept talking. "That said, it's clear that you do have skill with a blade, and you're a pretty good shot as well, so I think I know what your problem is."

"What do you mean?" Ben asked, confused.

Maria looked up to look Ben in the eye. "You're not a leader, you're a soldier. You've been raised form a young age to follow orders, not to give them, and because of that, you believe leadership is all about control. Well, you have it half right. Leadership needs to be about equal parts control and respect. You need to both respect those under your leadership and earn their respect as well. You, however, tried to strong arm my team, and that failed for you."

Ben met Maria's gaze as she spoke. "Thank you." He muttered. "Maybe on my next team I'll have a chance to try leading again."

Maria looked at him somewhat strangely. "What do you mean?"

Ben scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "When I was put in charge of your team, it was with the understanding that I'd be put on a team of my own at some point. Right now though, I'm still on my own since I missed initiation. Ozpin did mention that you might be able to help me somehow, but I'm not sure what he meant by that."

Maria scratched her chin in thought. "What did Ozpin mean by that?" she mused.

Ben shrugged his massive shoulders. "He didn't say."

Maria didn't respond as she was too deep in thought. What could Ozpin have meant? Was there something she could do for Ben? That was when she remembered something. Something she found out about rather recently, but never thought she'd have a chance to do it. "Ben, how much do you know about the hunters of Mistral?"

Ben thought for a moment. "Not very much, I was born and raised in Vale."

"An ancient Mistralian huntsman once created a protocol to aid those hunters who lost their teams." Maria said. "Those huntsmen and huntresses who lost their comrades could be offered a place among another team, an unofficial membership as they followed the commands of the Team's leader. Though it's rarely been used, especially in recent years, as many hunters have a hard time moving on from their former teammates, and today, the protocol is all but forgotten."

Ben looked at her strangely. "What are you saying?" He asked.

Maria's response was to draw her gladius, Ben taking a step back in worry, though he didn't need to. The centurion merely saluted him with the sword before holding it before her chest, point down. "Ben Aparte, I, Maria Gaia, Leader of Team EMAD, do hereby invoke the Legion Protocol. If you will accept my command, then I do hereby invite you to join Team EMAD."

Ben looked at her in shock. "After what I did, you'd let me join you?"

Maria nodded. "Like I said, you're a great fighter, and under my leadership, I'm sure we could do something great with that skill of yours."

Ben was shocked to say the least, but he wasn't going to let an opportunity like this pass him by. "I accept your offer, Maria."

Maria nodded again. "Take my sword and accept my command." She said, holding out the handle of her sword to Ben.

The soldier accepted the sword and mimicked her salute. "I, Ben Aparte, do hereby accept your command and join Team EMAD under the Legion Protocol." With those words, he handed Maria back her sword.

The centurion nodded and took back the blade, sheathing it as she did. "Welcome to Team EMAD, Ben."

Meanwhile, down the hallway, Professor Ozpin watched the scene with some amusement. Exactly as he thought it would happen.


	13. Chapter 10: Time to Relax I

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 10**

**oxoxoxo**

If Thatch thought that last night was bad, he had no idea what he would face today.

When Maria and Alison got back from wherever they had been, Thatch had asked them to keep their voices down and bring up Team RWBY as well as Sun and Neptune on scroll video call. Once the two teams were assembled, Thatch pulled out the papers he had taken from the captured APC and presented them before the others. "We know from Roman's speech at the White Fang meeting that Blake and Sun infiltrated that the White Fang has operations in the southeast of Vale." Maria began. "We don't know what those operations are, however, and another problem has presented itself. When we took the White Fang's truck, we found a map marking off an island in the northeast, an island that so far none of us have been able to find on any map."

"_That seems like a lot of stuff we don't know." _Said Blake. _"Do we really know anything?"_

"As of recently, we do." Said Maria. "Thatch and Alsion went back to where we stashed the APC earlier and they found something. Thatch, if you will?"

The renegade nodded and picked up the papers. "We know the White Fang sometimes communicate and receive orders through dead drops, leaving notes in a hidden location. You can't trace where the letter came from if it is found by someone else. What we found seems to be a dead drop letter giving orders to the unit we attacked."

"_Really?" _Weiss asked. _"What does it say?"_

"I was getting to that." Thatch replied as he began reading the letter. "Commander Leon," He read. "You and your men are to report to the island marked on the map given to you in the last message I sent you. Once there, you will report to a man by the name of Derek Blanch, an accomplice of mine in my operation. You and your men will be under his command until further notice. Just remember, The Abyss does not exist, and the map sent to you is one of the few that marks its location. Keep it close and away from prying eyes." Thatch read. "There's no signature, might be from Torchwick."

"_I don't know." _Said Sun _"Torchwick has never really been the subtle type, at least not as long as I've known about him."_

"He's got a point," Thatch said. "Especially since that guy's fashion sense makes Francois and Neptune seem subtle in comparison."

Francois and Neptune both shot glares at the renegade, but Ruby looked like she was lost in thought. _"Something wrong Ruby?"_ Yang asked, concerned about her sister.

"_Huh?" _Ruby said, coming out of her own thoughts. _"Oh, sorry. It's just, where have we heard that name before?"_

"Torchwick?" Francois asked.

"_No, the one in the letter. Blanch. Where have we heard that one before?"_

Maria scratched her chin. Ruby was right, she had heard that name before, the only question was where she had heard it. She frowned. "I don't know..." She muttered. "It's getting late though, let's get some sleep and think about it with fresh heads in the morning."

"_We shouldn't give up on it." _Said Blake, obviously frustrated. _"This is important, guys, and we need to investigate."_

"And we will, Blake, but later." Said Maria. "Trust me, it does no one any good to work too hard on not enough sleep. We'll continue in the morning, especially since tomorrow is a Friday, so after that we'll have the whole weekend to search."

Blake looked like she was going to say more when a look from her teammates silenced whatever it was she was going to say. _"Fine." _She growled. _"But we start looking again tomorrow."_

With that, the cat faunus ended the call, Sun and Neptune following her example after a quick goodnight. Maria let out a sigh as the call to Team RWBY ended. She pulled out a scroll and began typing a message. "What are you doing?" Asked Alison.

"Sending a message to Yang," Maria explained. "I'll ask her to keep an eye on Blake for her own sake. After all," she paused, looking down in guilt. "I know what it's like to be too focused on payback."

Alison, not wanting to see her leader like this, stepped forward and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We already forgave you for that. Besides, we have other things we need to talk about."

Maria sighed. "You're right." She said, turning to face the boys. "We need to talk. You two remember Ben?"

"How could we forget?" Thatch snarled. "Our former field commander who never led us into a single successful battle in his entire career."

"What about him?" Francois inquired.

"There's no easy way to say this," Maria began "but he'll be returning to our team." The boys' jaws hit the floor. Maria and Alison couldn't blame their disbelief. Thatch had been right, Ben didn't have the best track record with them in terms of both attitude or leadership. "Just let me try and explain." Maria said as she tried to calm the boys down.

"Very well," Francois said, folding his arms. "Explain."

Maria sighed. "He's not going to hold any sort of leadership position, he'll be answering to my orders just like you. He's been recruited through something called the Legion Protocol, meaning that until he has a team of his own, he'll be fighting on our team."

"After everything he did to us, you're just going to welcome him back?" Thatch asked, incredulous.

"Most of what he did was because he believed our loyalty was owed to him for the simple virtue of his leadership." Alison said softly. "Maybe having him as a comrade will be easier."

"Give him a chance." Maria said. "Worst case scenario, the Legion Protocol can be revoked."

Even by the next morning, Thatch was still uncomfortable with the decision to let Ben back on the team, especially after how he treated them. That, however, was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment. Classes had ended for the day, and since it was a Friday, he was now free for the weekend, the upcoming dance included. That said, however, Francois seemed determined to make his life miserable, having brought him out to an empty classroom and telling him to 'just wait.' And so he waited, leaning up against a wall, thinking of the fresh hell he'd drop Francois into after this was over, maybe a vision of watching all his family's money burn while he was dressed in sackcloth and his hair fell out...

His thoughts were soon interrupted as the classroom doors opened again. "It's about time, Noble Boy," Thatch said as he turned to the door. "I was just thinking about you... what is she doing here?"

Indeed, Francois had not arrived alone. Standing with him, and looking none too pleased with him, was Weiss Schnee, her arms folded as she looked in between the two boys, as though silently deciding which one she would stab first when this was over.

"She's going to help us solve your little problem." Francois explained.

"And why, pray tell, did you pick me for this?" Weiss hissed, glaring pointedly at the nobleman.

Francois shrugged. "Well, you were the only girl I knew I could trust with this. Yang is obviously no option, and since Ruby would just tell her sister first thing, that's also out of the question. Blake was also out of the question, seeing as she is... not one for such... activities. Nora is also not an option since she's... Nora, and can you imagine what Maria would say if she saw us doing this with Pyrrha?"

"Then why not ask Maria?" Weiss demanded.

"There is too much chance of her telling Alison about this, and the point of the plan is to keep Thatch's inability to dance properly from her."

"Tell the whole school, why don't you?" Thatch growled.

Weiss rolled her eyes. This was seriously what was keeping Thatch from asking Alison to the dance? If someone didn't ask her for the same reason... who knew the mighty future huntsmen could be such cowards. "You seriously can't dance?"

"I know how to move to music and I picked up a couple moves during my time on airships." Thatch admitted. "Trouble is, this is proper dancing with a girl I actually care about. I've danced in shanties with barmaids, but this is completely different."

"Now you see my plan." Francois said. "I want to make this rude skyfaring criminal-" Thatch growled audibly. "Into a proper gentleman for one night."

Weiss rubbed her temples. "Ugh, fine, I'll help. But you owe me one..." She hissed at Francois.

oxoxoxo

When class ended, Ben approached Maria and Alison, Thatch and Francois having left on what they had called 'personal business.' "So," he asked. "How did they take me joining your team again?"

Maria sighed. "About as well as can be expected. You weren't exactly respectful to them and the boys seem to remember that."Maria turned to see that Alison had subtly positioned herself behind her. _And they're not the only one. _Maria thought to herself.

"They're not even going to give me a chance?" Ben asked.

Maria scratched her chin in thought. "There might be one way." She mused. "Go to the dance tomorrow night. You go, they see you there, they know that not only do you actually know how to have fun but you're also a human being on their level, making you a lot more approachable than the high and mighty field commander you tried to be." When Ben gave her a confused look, Maria returned it. "What? You have a better idea?"

The soldier shook his head. "No, it's just that... I never figured you for much of a partier."

Maria shrugged. "I'm not, but it's always a good idea to spend time with your teammates. It builds and strengthens relations when you do. After all, people like leaders and comrades they can relate to, and what's more relatable than the desire for socialization." Ben looked at her like she'd grown a second head, and a quick glance behind her at Alison told her she had a similar expression on her face. "What?"

"You're going to the dance?" Ben asked, wondering if this was the same girl who had so thoroughly ripped him apart after he had led her team to defeat.

"Is that so hard to believe?" Maria asked.

"You didn't even go to game night with Team RWBY last semester." Alison pointed out. "And you're going to the Beacon Dance?"

"Game night was a different story." Maria replied with a shrug. "Besides, I do enjoy the occasional party."

Alison's jaw hit the floor. This was the girl so obsessed with beating her rival that she tried to have someone expelled, charged an entire horde of Grimm on her own after they interrupted her walk, and scared the wits out of pretty much any guy who ever spoke to her, and now she was admitting she liked parties?

"Trust me," Maria continued "The leader who spends time with their troops is much more respected than the one off to the sidelines the whole time. Heck, even JULIA is going."

Ben gave her an odd look. "Who's Julia?"

Maria rolled her eyes at the thought. "Just my oh so superior and amazing older sister who just happens to be a the youngest Atlesian General currently working who has an entire legion of specialized troops under her command despite the fact that the kingdoms of Vale are currently in a time of peace and the world should be more focused on defending against the Grimm and less on building an army to make war on each other DAMMIT!"

There was a moment of silence where Alison and Ben just blinked as they looked at the angry centurion. "Uh, are you alright?" Ben said after a few seconds.

Maria took a deep breath and spoke again. "I'm fine, just an argument I had with my family before I came here. In any case, my point is that if a hardass like my sister can come out to the dance, then is it really so surprising that I want to?"

Alison and Ben just shrugged. "I guess I'll go then." Ben said. "I'll see you two then." With that, the massive soldier lumbered off. He had a dress uniform to clean.

The two girls watched as Ben left before turning and walking towards their dorms. Alison turned to Maria. "You weren't serious about Julia going to the dance, were you?"

"Oh, I'm very serious." Maria replied. "We were taught back in Mistral to always attend army functions to raise the morale of the troops."

"Oh..." Alison said softly. "Maybe I'll just stay-"

"Nope, you're coming out with us."

"But-"

"That's an order, Alison." Maria said, holding up a hand to show her authority.

"That's an abuse of power..." Alison muttered.

"Alison, my bitchy sister is no reason to not go to the dance." Maria assured her. "She'll likely stay with the Atlesian students and soldiers and not bother you. Besides, this is a good chance to get out and have fun, unwind a bit before we have to go back to hunting Torchwick and the White Fang again."

Alison sighed. "Alright." She muttered. "But I'm staying with you though."

Maria put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be right there if you need me." She said. The Centurion smiled a somewhat cheeky grin for a fraction of a second. "I don't think you'll want to be with me the whole night though. After all, you'll probably want to dance with Thatch at some point."

"Maria!" Alison hissed, her face turning red as her robes.

The Centurion smirked and kept walking. "You can deny it all you like, but I know it's true."

Alison, having realized she had stopped walking, soon caught up to her partner. "Is it that obvious? I don't think I ever said anything to you..."

"You didn't." Maria confirmed. "Well, you did now, but not before." Alison's face turned an even deeper shade of red at her words. "You do spend a lot of time looking at him when you think no one can see you."

"..." Alison didn't respond.

Maria put a hand on her shoulder. "I won't say anything, don't worry."

"Thanks..." the artist muttered.

"So it's settled." The leader confirmed. "You're coming with us to the dance and that's an order."

Alison smiled. "Fine... But that's still an abuse of your power."

Maria shrugged. "I don't think I've abused it so far, maybe I'm entitled to it on something this small."

"I don't know about her," Said a new voice, slick and cool "But I'd let you abuse your power on me as much as you want."

The girls turned to the source of the voice, a blue haired young man in a blue armoured leather jacket with a seemingly permanent cocky grin on his face. "I'm sorry," Maria said, already annoyed with this boy. "Do I know you?"

"The name's Indigo Aesir." He said, holding out a hand for her to shake.

Maria folded her arms and frowned at him, clearly unimpressed.

"I'm one of the exchange students from Vacuo."

"Still not ringing any bells." Maria replied.

"I was the sniper and leader of my team when they beat hers." He said, pointing at Alison, the artist looking somewhere between annoyed and nervous.

"Oh, right, that was you, wasn't it?" Maria said, a small smile growing on her face.

"I thought that might jog your memory." Indigo said, holding out his hand again. "And what is your name, armoured angel?"

Maria took his hand and gave it a rough squeeze, the sniper wincing in pain as she did. "Maria Gaia." She replied "Her team's leader."

Indigo soon realized exactly what he had done wrong here. "You know, I never said there was anything wrong with her team or anyone on it..." Indigo said, chuckling nervously as he noticed Maria had not only not released his hand, but her look was also growing more sour with each moment. "I was just saying that we managed to beat them."

"Well, that's one way to put it." Maria said. "Another way is to say that you beat a team without its leader." She grinned slightly as she got an idea. "Maybe you'd like to try taking on their leader, see how you fare against her. After all, you are the leader of your team."

In a surprising turn of events, Indigo gripped Maria's hand and pulled her closer. "Alright, but if I win, you accompany me to the dance tomorrow."

Maria gave him a look that would reduce most men to stuttered apologies, but Indigo still wore that same smirk. "Alright," Maria agreed "But if you lose, then you have to ask the girl on your team." Indigo paled for a second, and Maria could guess why. Having watched the battle between this team and hers, she knew that the only girl on their team was a vicious dust mage, the kind of person to blast a man point blank with fire (as she did with Ben). "Do you accept?"

Indigo seemed to consider the matter for a moment. His face, however, soon sported that cocky grin again. "You're on, miss Gaia. I do hope you have a blue dress to match my suit."

Maria's own expression mirrored his for a second as she responded. "I'd be more worried about how you're going to get a dress for your teammate at this point."

oxoxoxo

Thatch spun Weiss under his arm and caught her by the waist as the song they had been dancing to drew to a close. From the sidelines, Francois clapped for them. "Not bad at all _mon ami." _He said without an ounce of sarcasm. "I think you're ready to ask her."

"Thanks, both of you." Thatch said, slightly out of breath. He was tired both physically from the dancing, and mentally from having to look at Weiss' permanent scowl and hope she didn't decide to stab him mid dance. "Weiss, thanks to you especially. I owe you one."

"Oh, don't worry," Weiss said, not tired in the least. "You didn't even step on my feet once, so I won't hold this against you. Though, your partner will be paying me back for this." She said, glaring at the nobleman.

"I won't even ask." Thatch replied. "Either way, I have somewhere to be. I'll see you both later."

With that, the renegade turned and ran out of the room, neither Weiss nor Francois knowing where he had run off to. Thoroughly confused, both of them walked out into the hallway. "You think he's actually going to do it?" Weiss asked.

"He will." Francois replied. "He's too proud to back down from a challenge, especially one this simple."

"You have a point." The heiress said. "But seriously, he was going to pass up asking her because he couldn't dance?"

"_Mon dieu," _Said Francois with a chuckle. "Who does that?"

Even Weiss had to giggle at that thought. That giggle, however, turned into a hiss as another student bumped into her while running down the hall. "Watch where you're going!" She snapped.

"Sorry," The student hurriedly said.

"What exactly is going on?" Francois asked as the student turned and ran back down the hall.

"There's a duel staring! Maria Gaia is taking on one of the exchange students from Vacuo!"

With that, the student turned and ran again. Francois faced Weiss. "Care for some entertainment?"

The heiress shrugged and the two of them jogged off in pursuit of the student who ran to the fight.

oxoxoxo

On two sides of the elongated field stood the two combatants. Maria had donned her full armour and helmet and had just loaded the gun in _Imperator, _while on the other side of the field, Indigo slammed a clip of ammunition into _Jormungander _and flicked a switch along the side that made it light up for a second, deactivating it soon after.

From the sidelines, Alison watched as her leader prepared for battle. "Well, " said a familiar voice from behind her. "This is certainly exciting." Alison turned to see that it was Francois who had spoken, the nobleman approaching with the heiress Weiss Schnee. "What happened here."

The artist rolled her eyes and pointed to the blue haired boy on the battlefield. "That's Indigo Aesir, ths sniper from that teams match we lost. He tried to ask Maria out."

"Oh dear." Francois lamented. "I do hope she didn't humiliate him too much in the hallway."

Alison shook her head. "No, just challenged him and brought him down here."

Weiss snorted. "This should be over quickly."

"Don't be so sure." Francois replied. "Remember, Maria might be a tough fighter, but she's been off her feet for weeks now, and I saw what this Indigo guy's rifle can do. When he charged it up, one shot blew apart a wall."

"True." Alison confirmed. "But let's not forget how strong Maria's shield is."

"Not sure if it'll be enough to stand against Indigo though." Said a new voice. The Beacon students turned to see that the source of the voice was a black haired wolf faunus in a black tank top with a battleaxe strapped to his back. "That rifle of his is pretty accurate."

"Uh, who are you?" Weiss demanded.

"Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners?" The wolf boy said, offering a hand to the heiress. "Noctus Lupin, Indigo's partner."

"Weiss Schnee." The heiress replied, taking the wolf's hand tentatively.

"We've met." Said Francois.

"You're not still sore about that match we won, are you?" Noctus quipped.

"Well, let's just say that now that we have our leader back, we should have a rematch some time." The nobleman offered.

"Interesting offer." Noctus muttered. He looked from one end of the field to the other, as Maria and Indigo were both staring each other down before one made the first move. The wolf grinned. "Excuse me, miss Gaia?"

"Little busy at the moment." Maria growled back, not taking her eyes off her opponent.

"I won't take up too much of your time, I just thought you should know that Indigo's semblance is phase vision, so he can look through any solid object he wants. Meaning that while he's been looking at you, he wasn't just waiting for you to move."

Maria's eyes widened and her face went red in embarrassment. The new expression she bore shocked Indigo for a moment, the sniper lowering his rifle in confusion. Then he made the connection. Noctus standing next to her side, the expression on her face that was slowly getting angrier. "Oh no..." He muttered.

With a roar of rage and a face red with anger, Maria charged Indigo, the sniper's eyes widening as she did.

oxoxoxo

Thatch walked into his team's dorm, a long box held under his arm, and found something rather surprising: it was completely empty. Maria never really enforced a strict curfew or anything, but seeing as the clock on his bedside table said it was eight o'clock, he thought the others might be back by now. He shrugged. "Probably be back soon." He muttered, placing the box under his bed.

That box's contents had been worked on for the past two days at Beacon's forges with the help of the exchange student Onyx Blanch. That guy really knew what he was doing when it came to forging, especially when it came to making things work with dust crystals. With his help, he'd managed to forge something a bit special. Now he only needed the recipient to arrive. Thatch shrugged. "Might as well go for a walk, maybe they'll be here when I get back... and maybe I'll stop talking to myself..." With that, the renegade shook his head and walked out into the hallway.

As he walked, his thoughts strayed to a multitude of different subjects. First and foremost was obviously the White Fang. They were up to something, and that contact of theirs in the northeast still sounded familiar from somewhere, but no matter how hard he tried and how much it frustrated him, he just couldn't put a name to a face. If he had time, he'd probably go out for some combat practice if he had time. Hitting things did, after all, help him concentrate...

"NORA I SAID HEADPHONES ON!"

Well that was surprising. The shout seemed to come from down the hall, and the voice was easily recognizable as Jaune Arc. "What is he doing this time?" Thatch muttered to himself. Walking in the direction of Team JNPR's dorm, he saw something odd on arrival. Pyrrha was standing outside the slightly opened door, a look of sadness, no, worse than that, of resignation on her face. "Pyrrha, what's going on?" Thatch quietly asked.

"Oh, Thatch." Pyrrha said, somewhat surprised. "It's nothing, just... team things..."

"The look on your face says otherwise." The renegade replied. "And don't even try hiding that like your fearless leader does. What's going on?"

Pyrrha sighed. "It's my fearless leader." She said softly. Before Thatch could ask what she meant, he caught the conversation Jaune was having with Ren inside the dorm, the blonde knight confessing his feelings for Weiss, the words just falling out of his mouth. That's when it hit him.

Pyrrha had fallen for the loveable idiot knight, but he was too caught up in another girl to realize it. "I want him to realize how I feel for him," Pyrrha continued. "But at the same time, I want him to be happy with the one he wants."

"Look, I know I'm not the best person to be giving advice about this, but maybe you should just tell him. Maybe he feels the same."

Pyrrha sighed. "I'll handle it, just... don't get involved, okay."

Thatch nodded. "I'd better go before I say something stupid." He said, turning to leave.

Pyrrha watched him walk away. He was lucky. The girl he wanted also wanted him, someone just needed to say something. She sighed. Now if only she could say the right words to the one she wanted.

If Thatch had heard her thoughts, he would have walked right back around and shoved her into her room, telling her and Jaune to talk, with his semblance if necessary. However, he lacked the ability to hear the thoughts of others, so he simply kept walking. His aimless walking eventually brought him out to the roof, the swordsman looking off the roof over Beacon's grounds. It seemed like an eternity had passed since he had arrived here, and how much he had changed since he had arrived here. Before coming to Beacon he would never have thought himself as the type of guy to work on a team, attend a dance, or fall head over heels for a girl he had just met. And yet, here he was. Funny how things turned out.

"There you are." Said a new voice from behind the renegade. Thatch turned to see that Alison had come onto the roof behind him. "Maria was wondering where you were."

Thatch smirked. "I suppose I never did say where I was going, did I?"

Alison mimicked his look. "No, you didn't."

"Was our fearless leader worried about me? I'm touched." The renegade said with a slight chuckle, the thought of Maria Gaia frantically searching for him amusing him. "Where were you three, by the way? I got back to the dorm and none of you were there."

Alison rolled her eyes and smirked. "We tried to message you on your scroll, but you haven't answered anything. And as for where we were, one of the exchange students tried to ask Maria to the dance. She said no, and he challenged her."

"How did that go?" Thatch asked, already knowing the answer.

Alison bit her lip. "Well..."

oxoxoxo

Noctus roared with laughter as Indigo groaned in pain. "What did you tell her?" The sniper demanded.

The wolf managed to calm himself down enough to talk, though the new black eye that indigo sported was making that rather difficult. "I just mentioned what your semblance was."

Indigo hung his head. "Why? Why why why would you do that?"

"Don't you have something else to worry about?" Noctus asked, elbowing him in the side. "Like your new date for the dance?"

Indigo's eyes shot open. "Oh no... I forgot about that..."

oxoxoxo

"He should be fine." Alison quickly said.

Thatch shrugged. "You'll have to tell me about that fight later. Can't believe I missed Maria's first fight back on her feet." He said, sounding genuinely disappointed at the end. He'd seen her in combat before and was looking forward to seeing it again.

"She'll be in more fights. After all, she has class time to make up." Alison said.

"I suppose so." Thatch said, gesturing to the door back into the dorms. "Anyway, shall I walk you back to the room?"

Alison nodded, stepping forward to open the door. Thatch walked inside, and she closely followed beside him. "So where did you disappear to after class?" she asked.

"I'll talk to you about that when we get back to the dorm." Thatch said simply. "I have something for you when we get there."

"Really?" Alison asked. "What?"

"What? You want me to spoil the surprise?" Thatch chuckled. "We're almost there anyway." This was true, as Alison could see their room from here, and the two soon stood in front of their door. "Wait here." Thatch instructed. "I'll be right back." With that, he disappeared into the room. For a brief moment, Alison rolled her eyes, believing this was a prank, he had run inside and had now locked her out.

That thought was soon broken, as the renegade emerged from the dorm room, a long box under his arm. She could hear what she swore was laughter coming from inside from both Francois and Maria, Thatch turning and shooting one final glare into the room before slamming the door. "I hate those two sometimes..." He muttered.

"What about me?" Alison asked, giggling a little.

"Oh, I could never hate you." Thatch assured her with mock seriousness. "Anyway, this is for you." Thatch said handing her the box.

Alison took off the lid and pulled out the box's contents. The box contained a long, thin sword, a jian if she remembered correctly. The blade was immaculate, just under three feet in length and polished to a shine, running down to a handle covered in red stained leather with a bright blue dust crystal embedded in the hilt. "Wow." She said simply.

"I thought about making you something like this after the team battle when your zhua was frozen to the ground." Thatch explained. "I started working on it soon after that, and this is the final result. What do you think?"

Alison was silent as she looked over the blade and the sheathe that was included with it, a red leather piece, decorated with her symbol in brass. "I love it." She whispered.

"Glad to hear it." Thatch said. "There are some things I can't forge, but lucky for us, I'm good with swords." He said, patting the two cutlasses at his hips. "The ladies here are proof of that."

Alison giggled. "They can take some punishment. Didn't you say you stuck them in a rock wall the day of the initiation?"

"They survived that, so that one should be able to deal with a couple Grimm or criminals."

"Thanks Thatch, really." Alison said, blushing slightly. She hesitated for a second before she awkwardly stepped forward and put her arms around Thatch's neck, pulling back just as quickly.

"Anytime." Thatch said with a smile. "So, what're you going to call it? It needs a name."

Alison looked down at her blade. Elegant, well made, in her hands precise. It needed a name that encompassed that. "I don't know yet." She admitted, sheathing the sword. "But as soon as I choose one, you'll be the first to know."

"I feel honoured." Thatch said with a smirk. "Glad you like it."

"I just have one question:" Alison added. "Why give this to me out here?"

"Well, I'm not going to lie, I did have a bit of an ulterior motive. I was wondering..." Thatch begain, steeling himself and mentally smacking himself. He'd leapt onto the back of a Goliath Widow on his second day here, why was talking to this one girl so bloody difficult? "Would you... do you want to go to the dance with me?" He blurted out, mentally smacking himself again, while resisting the urge to do so for real. _'That was pathetic! She's going to laugh and walk away you pathetic-'_

"Yes." Alison said, cutting off his inner insults. "Yes, I will."

Thatch blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes." Alison repeated, face slightly red form embarrassment. "I was actually hoping you'd ask me."

"Well, that makes this a lot easier." Thatch said. "So I'll see you tomorrow night?"

"Well, you'll see me tonight too, we do share a room with two other teammates." Alison said, giggling.

"Oh, right." Thatch muttered, scratching the back of his head and gesturing to the door. "After you?" Alison mimicked his usual cocky smirk and opened the door, revealing Francois and Maria standing directly on the other side, ears having been pressed against the door. Thatch gave the two of them a deadpan look. "Okay, I expected this from you," He said pointing at Francois "But not from you, fearless leader."

Maria stood up to her full height, and though shorter than the renegade, still managed to look down to him. "I wanted to make sure you treated my partner right. The last thing we need is for you to hurt her, especially since it'll make my injuries from the Nevermore look tame in comparison." She said, putting just enough malice into her words to make sure he knew she was serious. "You're not going to hurt her, right?" She said, pointing an accusing finger into his chest and glaring right into his eyes, her blood red orbs meeting his brown ones.

Thatch stood up straight and audibly gulped before snapping a salute. "No ma'am!" He vowed.

Maria smirked and stepped back. "Good. We get the bathroom first tonight. Alison, let's go."

The artist smiled back at the renegade before following her partner into the bathroom. Thatch turned to Francois. "Did Coco do something like that when you started going out with Velvet?"

Francois chuckled. "Not once. I guess you were just unlucky that she turned out to be Alison's partner."


	14. Chapter 11 Time to Relax II

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 11**

**oxoxoxo**

How do those studying to be the greatest warriors on Remnant prepare for a dance? The same way that any others would: dressing up. The men of Teams JNPR and EMAD had spent the afternoon preparing for the dance, getting their suits on and cleaning up as to look at least somewhat presentable.

"Alright lads," Said Thatch, showing off his new suit. "What do you think?" The renegade was dressed in a standard suit and tie, but with a longer coat and with his standard tricorne hat on his head. The tie and highlights were red, and the suit pants and coat were black.

"It's just missing one thing, _mon ami." _Francois said, stepping up to his partner. In one swift motion, he took off his tricorne and replaced it with a fedora before Thatch could complain. "There, now it's perfect."

"He's got a point." Said Ren, dressed in a standard black suit with a purple vest and bowtie beneath it. "That tricorne might be good for combat, but for something like this, maybe go with something else."

"Well, at least it's not quite as ridiculous as Noble Boy's." Thatch commented. The nobleman in question was dressed in a long, navy blue coat with matching pants, a gold trim along the coat. Beneath the coat he wore a white, frilled shirt with a light blue neckerchief and his trademark wide brimmed hat on his head.

"Is it too much?" Francois asked.

"It is a bat... Excessive." Ren supplied.

"Mate, I don't mean any disrespect, but he passed excessive when he put on the coat and the hat." Thatch pointed out.

Francois frowned and muttered something to himself while Thatch laughed and Ren chuckled.

Thatch paused in his laughter to turn to the bathroom door. "Jaune, are you done in there?"

"Just a second." Jaune said through the door. The other boys rolled their eyes. The knight had tested several different combinations of shirt and tie to go with his suit, and hadn't been satisfied with any of them. "Alright, what do you guys think of this one?" Jaune said, emerging from the bathroom in a black shirt and silver tie.

The reaction was a chorus of thumbs ups from the other guys.

"Oh, no it's not right!" Jaune groaned, running back into the bathroom and slamming the door, the other boys applying hand to face as soon as he did. A few seconds later he emerged wearing a white shirt and red bowtie. "What about this one?"

Thatch gave Jaune an annoyed look. "Jaune, if you change one more time, I will shoot you."

Jaune gulped heavily. "Right then, well we'd better get a move on." He said, very quickly, nearly running for the door. The others followed him at a much more measured pace. Opening the door, they found Sun and Neptune waiting outside.

"Are you guys ready yet?" Asked Sun, dressed in what could only be described as the surfer's suit, a partially opened black dress shirt with a high collar and a white tie around his neck. To his credit, he wasn't wearing shorts... though he was still wearing cargo pants with the legs rolled up to just below his knees. Neptune was dressed much more traditionally, with a classic suit and tie with an orange bowtie and his goggles on his head.

"You know it mate." Thatch said, clapping the monkey on the shoulder.

"Alright." Sun said, returning the gesture. "Nice hat by the way."

"I told you so." Francois said, walking past the two of them.

Meanwhile, in Team RWBY's room, the ladies of teams RWBY, JNPR and EMAD had been preparing since the morning. Yang and Weiss had left earlier to do final preparations for the dance itself (with Weiss being done with her makeup in record time). Maria had also finished and left early, saying she had urgent business to attend to. At this point, the remaining girls only needed to finish final preparations.

Ruby stumbled out of the bathroom in a knee length red dress with black trim, a pair of black high heels completing the look. She groaned as she tried to keep from falling over. "Ugh... I hate these things..." She muttered.

"But you look great in them." Pyrrha noted.

"Easy for you to say!" Ruby retorted. "Not only are you WAY better dressed than me, but you're apparently way better balanced too!"

The young reaper was right, Pyrrha was dressed to impress in a stunning, floor length red dress with a slit up the right leg. The dress was tied off around Pyrrha's neck, and hugged her body, but also showed off her toned but lean form, making her look not only beautiful, but also intimidating. Ruby knew Yang had said that she would be turning heads, but she knew for a fact that Pyrrha would be noticed the second anyone spotted her.

"Oh come on guys!" Nora said, bouncing on the balls of her feet in her knee length white and pink dress. "This is going to be awesome!"

Ruby only gaped at her. "How is she bouncing in those?!" She demanded.

Alison only laughed at Ruby's response. A small chuckle, barely heard above the other girls' talking. The artist was dressed in a green dress that matched her eyes as well as the streak in her hair. It stretched down until just below her knees and was strapless, hugging her slim frame well. She had received her fair share of teasing about how Thatch would fall over just from looking at her, but she ignored that since she was too excited for the dance. Predictably, Alison had never been to a gathering this big in her entire life, having been raised essentially on her own with very little contact with the outside world. It was a bizarre mixture of nervous and excited since there would be so many people there, but she was also going with a whole group of her friends, and above all, her team. This was set to be one of, if not the best night of the year.

Meanwhile, yet another group was preparing for the night, but this one was less excited and more dreadful, especially for one half. "Ben, are you done in there?" Maria called, knocking on Ben Aparte's door. The Centurion was, for once, out of her armour, having dressed to impress for the night in a purple floor length dress that hugged her body with a single line of fabric running over her left shoulder. She had elected not to do anything with her hair, deciding instead to simply not restrict it in her helmet, letting her brown locks fall down to her mid back.

"Just about done!" Ben called from inside. "It's hard getting on a suit when you're this tall."

"You'd better not be carrying a weapon when you come out." Maria warned. "This might be a school for hunters, but this is a dance, not a Grimm Hunt."

Ben was silent for a moment. There was the sound of something large hitting the ground before Ben spoke again. "I don't have any weapons..."

Maria rolled her eyes as the door opened. Ben emerged from his room dressed in military formal wear: a green suit with Matching pants and a black shirt and silver tie. His hair that was normally covered by his hat was now combed, and Maria could finally see just what it was. His hair was light brown and cropped short in military style, though it had started to grow in, so Ben had combed it. "I swear, I didn't have a gun with me." He said, scratching the back of his head.

Maria frowned and leaned over to look past him, easily spotting through his open door that his sword was lying in a fancy scabbard across his bed. "Whatever you say." She muttered.

Ben hurriedly slammed the door, almost cracking the wall with his superhuman strength. "That was nothing." He hurriedly said. "So... you look nice?" He tried.

Maria smirked and twirled to show off the dress she wore. "What, you were expecting me to wear full armour?"

"Well, I've only ever seen you in that or your school uniform." Ben replied.

"Well, now you've seen me in this." Maria said with a slight smile. "You look good too."

"Really?" Ben asked. "I mean, this is my only fancy outfit, and it's my military formalwear, and it's really-"

"You really are worried about this, aren't you?" Maria asked, cutting him off. "You look fine. Now come on, we'll be late if we stick around here too long."

"Right." Ben confirmed, holding an arm out for Maria. "Shall we?" He asked with an attempted smile.

Maria gave a slight smirk of laughter. "I said you could join my team, not date me. Now come on." She said, leading the way. Ben stared after her for a moment before following his new leader.

oxoxoxo

Thatch stood outside the ballroom and waited. The sun had set, the moon was casting a gentle glow over the entirety of Beacon, and from the music he could hear from inside, the dance had begun. The other guys were already inside, but he and Sun were still out, but for completely different reasons. Thatch was outside because there was something, someone he was waiting for. Sun was outside because...

"Stupid... dumb... neck trap..." The monkey muttered venomously as he paced, attempting to fix his tie.

Thatch chuckled, but his laughter soon died when another voice was heard. "I knew you'd look better in a tie."

The monkey and renegade looked as one to see who had spoken, and neither one could believe it. Standing before them in a dark purple, knee length dress with a matching bow on her head was Blake. Both of them blinked at the sight of her. After how she'd been acting just the night before, the intensity, the anger, the borderline obsession of trying to track down Torchwick and the White Fang, Blake looked for all the world like she had just gotten up from a relaxing nap. She was even _smiling._

Thatch smiled as Blake took sun by the arm and led him inside. "Good on you, mate." He said quietly as he watched the two of them enter the ballroom. His smile grew as he heard the unmistakeable sound of soft, tentative footsteps approaching him. "And here I was worried you wouldn't show up." He quipped, turning to face Alison as she approached.

The quiet girl looked more than just nervous as she slowly walked over to him. "How did you know I was here?" She asked.

"When I worked on airships, I needed to hear orders over the sound of engines, so hearing you over the sound of muffled music is easy." Thatch replied with a smile, holding his arm out for her. "You look amazing."

Alison blushed and took his arm in hand. "Thanks." She muttered, just loud enough to hear. "You look really good too..."

"You can thank our resident pretty boy for that." Thatch said. "He gave me the hat."

Alison giggled. "It is a nice hat."

Thatch gave her a genuine smile. "Thank you." He said as he pushed open the doors to the ballroom.

Stepping through the doors, the pair found Yang on the other side, welcoming the students. The second the blonde laid eyes on them, she immediately started jumping up and down in place, clearly holding back a squeal of joy. "Oh, you two are here together!" She gushed. "Does this mean you're dating?"

Alison and Thatch went red at her words, Thatch being the first one to recover and reply. "We're not sure yet. Maybe."

"Are you sure?" Yang said with a wink. "You didn't hear the things she says about you-"

"Wellcomeonlet'sgodance!" Alison blurted out before dragging Thatch out onto the dance floor and away from Yang. The blonde watched as the artist hauled her date off and chuckled to herself. Now she just needed to find Blake. After all, she still owed the faunus girl a dance.

oxoxoxo

The last thing Maria expected was to run into her sister at the dance.

She had been about to call her team and tell them to meet up with her and Ben to show them that the soldier wasn't as bad as they thought, but before she could make the call on her scroll, there was the very audible sound of someone clearing their throat. "Maria." Her sister greeted. Lieutenant General Julia Gaia stood before them, her arms folded behind her back. She was dressed in an Atlesian military dress uniform, a pristine white suit and pants with a red vest beneath the suit. Her short hair was well combed and her red eyes were locked into her sister's

The centurion put her scroll down. "Julia."

"General Ironwood would like to speak to you and him." Julia said simply, gesturing to her and Ben.

"And why, pray tell, is that?" Maria prompted, ever so venomously.

"I don't question orders from my superiors. You shouldn't either."

"General Ironwood _isn't _my superior." Maria replied.

"Enough." Ben interjected. "I'd like to see what he wants. We can make this quick, I promise."

"Are you sure?" Maria asked.

"I'm sure." Ben replied with a nod. "Ironwood seemed like a good man during the war, I want to see what he wants."

Maria looked from Ben to her sister and then back. "If you're sure..." She said. Ben nodded and Julia led them off. The centurion could only wonder what her sister and the general had in mind for them, and why they had waited until now to talk about it. She knew Ben had fought in the Faunus War a few years ago, and that Ironwood had commanded the Atlesian forces in that war, but Ben had fought under the kingdom of Vale in that war, so what would Ironwood want with him? And with her?

She wouldn't have to wonder for long, as they soon met the general in person. "Ah, Ben Aparte, former protégé of Erwin Frundsberg." Ironwood opened to them. Maria could see why he would invoke the name of the general Ben served under. Frundsberg was renowned for his actions in the Faunus War, especially considered to some of his colleagues. Maria personally idolized him as a general, wanting to be that successful against the Grimm someday. "It's an honour to meet you." Said Ironwood.

Ben gave a quick salute. "Thank you sir."

"At ease, young man." Ironwood said. "I'm not your commander today, merely a visiting headmaster. I must admit, however, that I never thought you'd meet my lieutenant's sister. Maria, it's an honour to meet you. Your family says so much about you."

Maria frowned and folded her arms. "I can only imagine the title 'waste of potential' is brought up quite a bit." Julia growled at that. "What do you want, General?"

"Respect, sister." Julia stated.

"At ease, Lieutenant Gaia." Ironwood said, raising his hand. "Your sister and parents do often express their desire for you to join the Atlesian Military. It is, after all, in the family. And you, Ben, your actions in the Faunus War have definitely made you into quite the distinguished soldier."

"Just what are you saying, General?" Ben asked.

"What I'm offering the two of you are distinguished spots at the Atlesian Military Academy." Ironwood explained. "With your records in combat and leadership, the two of you could reach general rank in only a few years."

Ben looked contemplative for a moment, while Maria merely shook her head. "I'm sorry General Ironwood, but I must decline."

"And why might that be?" Ironwood asked. "Were you to come to Atlas, you could have an entire army under your command."

Three figures stepped up behind Maria as she spoke again. "I don't need your armies. I have my team." She said, smiling as she gestured to her three teammates. "They're as good, better even than any army you could put under my command."

"That's quite a statement about a team that has already let you down once." Julia interjected. "How long have you been able to walk on your own recently?"

"You might blame my injury on them, but I would gladly go through that again for one of them, and I know they'd do the same for me or for each other." Maria stated confidently.

"Any one of us would." Francois agreed.

"Aye." Thatch concurred. "Even for Noble Boy here."

Alison merely nodded her agreement.

Ironwood looked from Maria to her teammates standing proudly behind her. "I can see you've made some loyal friends, but you could take them with you were you to come to Atlas."

"I'm not interested in going to Atlas, however." Maria retorted. "I'm not going to stop Ben if he wants to, but my place is here: at Beacon Academy with my team beside me and the Grimm in my crosshairs."

"You'd be wise to reconsider, sister." Julia said, glaring at her younger sister. "Atlas needs all the generals it can get got her army."

"For what purpose?" Maria demanded. "The Atlesian Army may be a great fighting force, but what is needed right now is a force of hunters. The greatest threat to Remnant right now isn't a war between the nations, it's the monsters lurking just on the edge of our cities. The Grimm have been hounding us for as long as we've been alive on this planet, and it's only been recently that we as people have begun to realize that our real threat doesn't see us as the enemy in some great possible war, but as a meal to be eaten."

Ben gulped. How right Maria was... if only she knew why... If only he could tell her why.

Ironwood nodded. "I see your point." He said with a nod. "However, that said, there will still be a space at the Atlesian Military Academy should you choose to accept it."

"And you should." Julia added, the slightest hint of venom in her voice. "Mom and dad would definitely approve."

"And should they ask either of you, you can relay to them what I just said." Maria shot back. "Exactly like I told them and you when I left for Beacon. Now if you'll excuse me, this is a party, and my team and I would like to party with our friends." With that, the centurion turned on her heel, her teammates minus Ben following suit, leaving an impressed Ironwood and a furious Julia behind them.

"Your sister is certainly... bold." Ironwood noted.

"She's infuriating." Julia growled.

Ben stood awkwardly by, looking between the generals and his team, a team that held him with them under the Legion Protocol."Sir," he began awkwardly. "I'm honoured by your offer of placement in Atlas, but I'm not sure if I can accept it just yet. I've just begun to find my place here."

"Your placement will not be revoked yet." Julia assured. "You can still accept."

Ben frowned in thought. "I'll consider it."

oxoxoxo

Ruby rose stood by the punch bowl, a glass of the precious liquid in hand. She would have gone out to dance, but, well... that required more human contact than she was willing to endure at the moment.

Jaune quickly and quietly stepped up next to her, punch in hand. "I see you're hiding at the punch bowl too."

"Yep..." Ruby replied.

Jaune nodded. "To the socially awkward." He toasted, raising his own glass.

Ruby giggled and raised her glass in a toast. She offered the knight a sad smile afterward. "Sorry things didn't work out with Weiss."

Jaune merely shrugged. "Eh, it's fine." He conceded. "Neptune's pretty 'cool,' I guess."

Ruby looked at Jaune, surprised. "What do you mean?"

The blonde snorted. "Well, come on, not many people can pull off blue hair." He said with a chuckle before taking a sip of his punch.

Mentally bracing herself, Ruby continued. "No, I mean, Weiss came to the dance alone." She was ready to help when Jaune began choking on his drink, but luckily, her help wasn't needed. Good thing too. The last thing she needed was to draw attention to herself by doing first aid. "Yeah, she said she had too much to focus on to worry about boys."

In truth, Ruby was actually happy to see that neither Jaune nor Neptune had successfully asked the heiress to the dance. She wasn't sure why, but some part of her just didn't like the thought of it. She had no idea what could have made her think like this, but for some reason, she did.

As she wasn't paying attention, she was surprised then when Jaune handed her his glass, said "Hold my punch..." And stalked off. Not sure what to do, Ruby took a sip of his drink. It tasted exactly the same as hers.

"Good evening, Ruby." Said a new voice. Ruby looked in its direction to see it was Francois Delatrois who had spoken, the nobleman serving himself a cup of punch. "How are you tonight?"

"Oh, hi Francois." Ruby said with a smile. "I'm alright. I think we all needed this."

The nobleman poured his drink with a chuckle and stood next to her. "I can certainly think of two who needed it more than me and you."

The young huntress looked up at him. "Who?" She asked, genuinely confused and curious.

Francois chuckled and pointed out onto the dance floor where Thatch and Alison held each other as they danced into the night. "Those two." He said simply, wiping away a fake tear. _"C'est parfait." _He said with a smile.

Ruby giggled at the nobleman's words. "Well, at least this happened before Yang could try anything."

"I hesitate to ask what her plan would be." Francois quipped. "So, a girl so pretty as you can't be here alone. Where is your date?"

Ruby chuckled to herself slightly and scratched the back of her head in embarrassment, her face reddening slightly. "I... don't have one..."

"_Quoi?"_

"No one asked me." Ruby replied. "I'm too young for a lot of guys here, and Yang tends to scare off the rest." She said, laughing slightly at the last part. "Besides, I came here to have fun myself, not for some guy."

Francois shrugged and took a sip of his drink. "I have an idea." He said, smiling at Ruby. "You don't seem to be having too much fun _maintenant, _so perhaps you would like to dance _avec moi?"_

Ruby almost choked on her punch. "What? No, I can't do that! I can't dance, and I mean, what would Velvet say and-"

"Ruby, please." Francois said with a smile. "I asked you for a dance, not a kiss, I don't think Velvet will mind if we shared _seulement _one dance."

"But-" Ruby protested, but Francois cut her off.

"One dance, that is all. Then you can go back to the punch bowl." Francois then raised his right hand in a sort of oath. "And I promise, if I do anything you don't approve of, you can turn me over to your sister." The nobleman didn't give Ruby a chance to respond as he pulled her, the reaper stumbling over her own high heels, onto the dance floor, taking her hand in one hand and her waist in the other. Ruby desperately tried to keep up and not to step on the noble's feet as she attempted to dance. Soon enough though, a smile began to form on her face. She began to dance more confidently, and became so much less worried about stepping on his feet. Francois smirked as his semblance took effect. The smile on Ruby's face only grew in parallel to the golden shine at the edge of her eyes.

A tap on Francois' shoulder interrupted them mid dance. Both dancers turned to see the face of Velvet Scarlatina, the rabbit girl dressed to impress in a long sleeved, chocolate brown floor length dress. "Mind if I cut in?" She asked, looking from one to the other.

Ruby giggled. "He's all yours." She said, walking off. Francois caught her by the hand, however, pulling the young huntress back for just a moment.

The nobleman smiled. _"Merci Beaucoup _Ruby." He said, raising her hand and planting a light kiss on her knuckles. Ruby immediately went as red as her dress and scampered off. Francois chuckled and extended a hand to Velvet. The faunus girl took his hand, the nobleman putting his other hand on her waist as she placed hers on his shoulder. "How was your mission _mon cherie?"_

Velvet sighed slightly. "Tiring." She said, resting her head on his shoulder as they swayed back and forth to the music, the slow, soft music allowing her to dance with him while getting a much needed rest. "I'm glad to be back at Beacon, back with you."

"I'm more than happy for you to be back _mon cherie _Velvet." Francois replied, holding her close as he led her in swaying to the music. "I missed you terribly."

"So did I." Velvet replied. "I'm just glad my team was able to get back tonight, a day earlier than planned. Coco insisted on helping me with my outfit, but was rather disappointed when I didn't let her 'go all out.'"

Francois chuckled slightly. "I'm sure she was just devastated. Though I must say, you look stunning tonight."

Velvet blushed at his words. "Thank you."

The two stared into each other's eyes as they swayed to the music, each one wearing an expression of identical bliss. As one, the two closed their eyes and leaned in toward each other, their lips meeting as they grew closer. At that moment, like when Velvet had first left on her mission, it seemed as though they were the only ones in the room, perhaps even the only ones in the kingdom for all they cared. Neither one wanted it to end, but as the chorus to the song ended, they slowly broke apart, each one looking into the eyes of the other once again. No words were spoken, but none were needed.

Nearby, another pair danced, each one awkwardly attempting to not step on the others' toes. That said, both Thatch and Alison were enjoying tonight more than anyone in their position should have. They were finally able to share a dance, share a moment together. They were growing closer as the music grew closer to its ending. In his head, Thatch was thanking Francois and taking back every threat and possible nightmare he had planned to drop him into while he was teaching him how to dance with Weiss. Despite the heiress constantly berating him while he tried to dance, it had all been worth it in the end. He spun Alison under his arm and caught her as she turned to face him again, a smile splitting her blushing face, a smile that only grew when Thatch dipped her as the song drew to a close.

"I had no idea you could dance." She said, near breathless and completely flushed.

The renegade pulled her back up to face her and planted a kiss on her hand as he did. "Until recently, I couldn't do anything like that." He said with a chuckle. "I'll tell you the rest of that story later."

"I'll hold you to that." Alison replied, putting her hands on Thatch's shoulders. Thatch smiled and looked her in the eye, but before either one could say anything, the ballroom began to erupt in laughter, the sound slowly growing as more and more students looked to the source.

Thatch and Alison turned as one to look at where the sound was coming from, and as soon as they saw it, even Alison couldn't resist laughing, a sound that Thatch thought was the sweetest thing he'd ever heard, and one he could still hear over his own roaring laughter.

Of course, the source of the laughter turned out to be Jaune. The boy had entered the dance hall, and pushed all the way through it to his partner Pyrrha while wearing... Well, no one could quite believe it. Barely squeezed on over Jaune's shoulders and reaching down to just above his knees was a frilly, white, strapless dress. "A promise is a promise." Jaune said awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

Phyrra, to her credit, tried to hold in her laughter, but it inevitably failed as she began uncontrollably laughing. "Jaune!" She choked out in between guffaws. "You didn't have to!"

"Hey." Jaune said, standing tall and proud. "An Arc never goes back on his word. Now, do you want to stand there and laugh at me, or do you want to dance?" The proud knight said, holding out a hand for her to take.

As Pyrrha reached out to take his hand and accept his offer, Thatch recognized the song that had begun. It was a song most people would assume he hated, but it couldn't be further from the truth. It was Shine but Casey Williams.

"Now this, I know how to dance to." He said quietly. Alison turned to face him, but before she could say a word, he took her by the hand and pulled her close, beginning to sway to the music with her, slowly, as the song began in a slow, soft section, making it seem for all the world that this dance was the only thing in existence. Soon enough, however, drums kicked in, and the song began a crescendo, becoming faster and louder with each moment. Before long, the two of them were waltzing to the beat of the music, and Alison didn't care how many people were watching her as she danced, as she was having the time of her life.

She needn't have bothered though, as the entire ballroom was completely focused on Team JNPR as they all took to the dance floor and began to dance as one. The dance to Shine was known all over the world as the song was just that popular, and JNPR danced it like they had rehearsed it for months, moving in complete sync to the beat of the music. They stepped, and spun as one, the entire room watching in awe, as Jaune led his team, even while wearing a dress. Pyrrha's eyes never left her leader as they danced, Ren and Nora behind them the whole time. As the chorus drew to a close, Jaune pulled her close to him and began to give her the dance of her life. "I had no idea you were a dancer." Pyrrha admitted, a smile cracking her face and giggles slipping out every so often.

Jaue shrugged as he continued to dance. "Yeah, well, these things tend to happen when you grow up with seven sisters." He said as he spun and dipped a still smiling Pyrrha.

Meanwhile, Thatch and Alison continued their dance, Alison's face as red as Ruby's cloak, but the smile plastered on her face told anyone who saw her that she was having the night of her life. She smiled and giggled as Thatch spun her, catching her in an embrace. "How did you learn to dance to this?" She asked, still giggling.

"You attend a few nights out while traveling on cargo ships." Thatch said. "More energetic songs like this are much easier to dance to than slower stuff."

Alison smiled as he dipped her and pulled her back up, only to begin their waltz anew. As the song drew to a close, they drew closer until they were chest to chest. The two hunters knew that after tonight they were hunters again, but tonight they were just two teens at a dance. No swashbuckling swordsmen or battlefield artists, just two kids on a night out. With that thought in mind, the two of them locked eyes, neither one breaking the shared gaze. Brown met green as they locked eyes, their foreheads touching as they leaned in. Seemingly as one, they closed their eyes and leant in further until their lips met in their first ever kiss.

As Thatch and Alison shared their first kiss, Maria watched from the sidelines, arms crossed and a smile on her face. "Well, it's about time." She said to herself. That was the moment she had been waiting for since the night began. She looked over the crowd, seeing that all her teammates were currently busy. Thatch and Alison were sharing their moment, Francois and Velvet were enjoying a glass of punch and, much to her surprise, Ben had joined them, the colossal soldier toasting with Francois and Velvet as they watched Thatch and Alison separate, both blushing heavily.

As Maria continued to look through the crowd, however, one figure caught her attention, likely because the person in question looked like she was trying to _avoid _attention as she carefully slinked out of the dance. Maria watched as Ruby Rose slowly made her way out the door. Curious, Maria decided to follow behind her.

Ruby stepped out of the ballroom and looked back with a heavy sigh. She turned away from the door with a slight groan and walked away from the dance.

"Problems Ruby?"

The reaper turned to see it was Maria following her out of the dance, a soft smile on the Centurion's face, a rare expression on her face if there ever was one. "Oh, Maria, I was just... leaving... a bit early." She attempted. Maria hardened her expression and folded her arms at the young girl's words. "Okay, maybe there's a slight problem..." She muttered.

Maria, now used to the 'older sister' role, stepped in and put a hand on Ruby's shoulder, the young girl looking up to face her. "What's the matter?" Maria asked.

Ruby bit her lip for a second and gestured to the door. "Take a look and you'll see." She muttered.

Maria, though confused, did take a look into the ballroom, looking for anything that could relate to the young reaper. Though it was difficult at first, the centurion was able to look past the dancers and at those sitting in the back of the dance. That was where she saw it. That was when she understood. Sitting at the back of the hall was Ruby's partner Weiss was sitting and talking to the exchange student Neptune, a blissful smile on her face and a slight blush on her cheeks. "I see." Maria said as she turned back to Ruby. "You needed a bit of air then."

"Yeah." Ruby replied, looking a bit glum.

"Maybe you could use some company then." Maria suggested. "I could stay with you if you want."

Ruby gave a small smile to the centurion. "Thanks."

"Anytime." Maria said, giving the younger girl's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "So, you and Weiss...?"

"I don't know, I mean we've been getting along better ever since the first day of classes..." Ruby said, looking up at some of the buildings on campus. "I don't even know, it's just... there's someone on the roof over there."

Maria followed Ruby's gaze to the roofs of the nearby dorms. Sure enough, a lithe figure was leaping from one rooftop to the next, making their way across campus. The figure leapt over a rooftop and disappeared behind a building.

Ruby and Maria locked eyes for a second before nodding as both made to follow the figure in the direction she had fled in. "Who is that?" Ruby wondered. "What are they doing here?"

"I guess we'll find out when we interrogate them later." Maria stated as they rounded the corner into where they last saw the figure jump to.

There were several locations where she could have possibly gone, but only one of them really stuck out to them: the Campus CCT. What made this location seem more likely than the others was simple: the knocked out guard at the door. Ruby was about to move in closer, but Maria stopped her and held a finger to her lips as she gestured to another building rooftop where another figure entered the building from the roof. This time it was the library. Ruby gestured to herself and then to the CCT, before pointing to Maria and the library. Maria nodded and both girls pulled out their scrolls, their rocket powered lockers slamming into the ground a short distance away, the doors opening to reveal their weapons: _Crescent Rose _and _Imperator._

Upon grabbing their weapons, the girls exchanged a nod and ran in their respective directions. Maria pulled open the door to the library with her free hand before advancing inside and drawing her sword. The library was oddly silent as she advanced through it, the tall bookcases casting heavy shadows since the only light was through moonlight. The centurion stepped as quietly as she could, considering she was in heels, meaning she had to move slowly or risk being caught. It made little difference, as she knew exactly where her opponent likely was. With the library being so quiet, she could hear the sounds of fingers clacking against a keyboard. They were using the computer.

As silently as possible, Maria made her way through the bookshelves, attempting to move quickly, even while in heels. It wasn't much further now, she could clearly hear the intruder's typing and see the glow of their monitor in the darkened room. The centurion crept closer, shield raised and sword at the ready. She was almost close enough to see the intruder when she stumbled, tripping over her heel. Through sheer luck, Maria managed to catch herself before she hit the ground, thanking any deity she could think of for the carpeted floor of the library that muffled her fall. She was tempted to kick off the shoe with a long string of muttered curses, but she didn't dare. She still wanted the element of surprise.

Creeping around the corner of the bookshelf, she finally caught sight of the intruder. She sat at one of the library computers, searching for something. Almost immediately she recognized the intruder. Her hooded, snake pattern robes and twin wrist mounted crossbows making her unmistakeable. It was the snake girl who fought Francois at the docks and atop the APC during their 'night out' with team RWBY.

Slowly, Maria moved closer and put her sword to the back of the snake's neck. "Don't move." She said, the girl going rigid as the point of Maria's blade pressed her hood to the back of her neck. "I'd rather not make a mess of the library."

The snake took a deep breath, through the reflection on the screen she saw her grin. "Actually," she said, her voice resonating in Maria's mind. "I think you should put that sword down. Someone could get hurt after all."

Maria was about to shoot back a response, but before she could say a word, her body seemed to move on its own, her right arm carefully sheathing her blade. Gently now, she didn't want to hurt anyone. That's when she remembered what Francois had said about this girl: she was very persuasive. "That's better." She cooed as she began typing anew.

The centurion immediately went to draw her blade again, but no matter what she tried she was unable to reach for her sword. Her hand would near the hilt, but her fingers refused to wrap themselves around it and draw the blade. It was as though she was trapped in her own body. Desperate to know what she was up to, Maria looked down at the screen of her computer, her eyes immediately going to the search bar where two terms were typed: 'The Abyss' and 'Inferri.' "Also," the snake girl continued. "Be a good girl and keep your eyes off my screen, it's rather rude to read over someone's shoulder."

Maria's eyes immediately shot off the screen. She'd done it again. The leader of Team EMAD knew she had to stop this girl. Whatever she was looking into, she had broken into the Beacon Library to gain information on it, and that meant it could not be good. That was when she had an idea. She couldn't use her sword or look at the screen, but she didn't need either for her plan. She smirked as the boss of her shield opened, revealing the spinning barrels beneath it.

The snake girl's eyes widened as she dived out of her seat, a split second later, _Imperator's _minigun opened fire, obliterating the computer she had been sitting at and blowing a hole in the window behind it. Maria instantly turned to where the snake had landed and brought her shield up to deflect a crossbow bolt she fired. With the girl's concentration broken, Maria found she could draw her blade again, a good thing too, since the snake girl had activated a pair of blades hidden under her crossbows and she looked ready to fight. "Normally, I'd let my colleague in the fancy hat handle you, but since he's a little preoccupied at the moment, I'll take his place."

"Actually," Said a new voice, a deep, threatening baritone that filled the entire empty room. "I think you'll both be coming with me." With those words, the room began to darken, a single figure emerging from the shadows. It was the dark suited masked form of Professor Erik Fantine, his eyes glowing a harsh blue as his semblance cast the library into shadow.

The snake girl looked from Maria to Fantine, quickly realizing that she was outnumbered. In a last ditch effort she screamed out "Let me go!" Causing both of her pursuers to screw their eyes shut and stumble back as though in pain for a moment. Realizing this would be her last shot, the girl broke into a sprint and dove out the shattered window into the darkened grounds below.

Maria and Fantine made for the window, but by the time they got there, the girl was gone, having vanished into the night. "We can call security, have them track her down." Maria put forward.

Fantine rested his chin in his hand. "We can, but I have little confidence in their being able to find her. Marlow told me about her. She was able to break into and out of the Vale City Prison once."

"What?" Maria demanded. "Who was she? What did she want?"

Fantine began to walk away from the broken window, using his scroll to sound the silent security alarm. "I don't know her personally, but I do know what she was looking for. After all, I'm alerted whenever someone tries to track it down. My dear girl, what happened tonight is only going to end badly, so I suggest you enjoy the relative peace of this night while it lasts."

Maria cast her mind back to her teammates as they enjoyed the dance. Thatch and Alison were likely still dancing together or at least spending time with one another, while Francois and Velvet were probably on the balcony under the stars, the nobleman being quite the romantic. She hoped they were having a good night, because tomorrow, things were likely to get worse.

oxoxoxo

**Well, that took longer than expected, I hope you enjoy the results.**

**A couple of announcements before I end this chapter, first of all, I'm an idiot. Why? How? What did I do this time? Am I just taking the blame for DeadAliveManiac? No, this is something entirely on me.**

**On May 6 2015, Team EMAD officially began starring in a new story called "RWBY: Light, Dark, and Shadow" by author undaed15. I highly recommend you check that one out, it's a great piece of writing, and not just because my team is in it, but because the author has genuine talent in him.**

**Second, for those of you waiting for the next chapter of "Deadliest Warrior of Fiction," I can only apologize for the lateness, as I've been working on a few Death Battles for my esteemed colleague (and professional ingenious moron for hire) DeadAliveManiac. I ahve one more of those to work on alongside the Back for Blood chapters, but I still plan to have the next chapter out before the end of the month.**

**Third... Okay, you got me, I can't really think of a third...**

**Anyway, as always, please take a moment to leave a review, it costs nothing and the review button is right there, you might as well give it a click while you're down here. Please.**


	15. Chapter 12: Field Trip I

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 12**

**oxoxoxo**

Maria Gaia sat in Fantine's darkened office waiting for the professor to arrive. She'd never understood why the professor insisted on being so dramatic. His office was lit entirely by candles with all four walls painted black with a mirror in the exact center of each wall to reflect the light around the room. The only window was massive, taking up much of the back wall and looking out over Beacon's courtyard, but today it was closed, with the red curtains pulled over it, turning it into the only wall without a mirror. The ceiling of the office was much higher than she thought possible, the top stretching up into the shadows. It was the kind of room that looked majestic when lit up by the sunlight, but in the dim candlelight, it always felt like someone was watching her, making Maria look over her shoulder every thirty seconds to make sure that she was indeed alone.

After what felt like hours, the opening of the door brought Maria out of her thoughts as Fantine entered, removing his cape with a flourish and placing it gingerly on a nearby hanger. "Was that really necessary?" Maria asked as he did.

Fantine let out a sigh of exasperation. "It's an old habit I like to indulge in." He muttered darkly. Clearly, he was in no mood for jokes, as his face which was normally free of emotion bore a scowl of frustration and she could see bags of exhaustion under his unmasked eye. "Now, if you don't mind Miss Gaia, I'd like to ask you a few questions about what happened last night with the intruder in the library."

Maria was suddenly completely serious at his words, sitting up straight in her chair and nodding.

Fantine returned her nod and began pacing back and forth before her. "As was expected, the guards were unable to apprehend either one of the intruders last night. One they managed to track down to the dance hall before they lost her, and the other disappeared over Beacon's cliff, says one of the guards. He says he heard an engine of some kind, but nothing after that. Miss Gaia, I need you to remember, what was the girl in the library looking for?"

Maria racked her brain for the answer. She hadn't had long to look at the screen before the girl forced her to look away, and after that she had obliterated the computer, so there would be no looking at that screen again. "I remember there was something in Old Mistrali, but I can't remember exactly what it was. And then there was something about some abyss. What does one have to do with the other?"

Fantine stopped pacing once she had finished talking and faced away from her, placing a hand on his chin as he entered a deep thought. As he did, so did Maria. She knew for a fact that the intruder from that night was working with the White Fang. After all, she perfectly matched the description Francois gave of the girl from the docks last semester. She knew that if she could get the authorities some clue as to what Torchwick and company were up to, it would put a lot more pressure on them. Then again, she knew in her mind that not everyone in power would be so eager to go after Torchwick. Some might even be in his pocket.

Then again, this was the man who was personally employed by Ozpin, and who the headmaster trusted, somehow. If there was anyone who would do something good with this information, it was him. "Sir, she did say something before she knew I was there." Fantine, didn't move, but she could feel eyes on her somehow, despite the fact that he still faced away from her. "She said something about some island in the northeast and operations there. I don't know what she meant, but-"

"You may go, Miss Gaia." Fantine said, cutting her off.

"Go." He stated firmly and loudly. As if to accentuate his point, the door to his office flew open, hitting the outside wall with a loud slam. Knowing she was no longer welcome, Maria quickly fled the room, not wanting to be on a professor's bad side. The door immediately slammed shut behind Maria and Fantine let out a heavy sigh. "So, it seems some people just can't leave things alone."

"It seems not, Erik." Said another voice, this one a woman. Fantine turned to one of the corners of his room. Maria was right, she was being watched as she spoke. Elain Ravencroft emerged from the shadows in the corner and looked to her Team leader. "What should we do?"

Erik sighed and pulled off his mask, revealing the three lacerations from forehead to cheek beneath. He let out a sigh, his scars an ugly reminder of what the stronger monsters in this world could do. In the dim light, one could barely make them out, but to Ravencroft, they were as clear as day. She stepped closer and gently ran a slender hand over his scars. "They still haven't healed?"

Erik took her hand and stopped her. "No." He stated, grabbing her arm and pulling back the long black sleeve of her dress, revealing the mass of scars criss-crossing her arm. "But then again, neither have yours."

"That's not important, Erik and you know it."

"I hope you haven't started again."

"You know I haven't, and that's not important. No matter how much you try and avoid it, this will all go back to the Abyss." Ravencroft said, grabbing her sleeve and rolling it back up. "You need to tell Ozpin."

"I will." Erik insisted. "I promise. For now, we need to assemble the rest of the team. Do you know where Samantha and Theodora are?"

Elaine nodded. "Samantha went back to Atlas. She's probably in her old haunts, and while I might not be sure where Theodora is, she always answers her scroll."

"Good, then we'll be headed back there. If someone's interested in it, I have no doubt _he _is somehow involved." Erik hissed.

"What about the last people to go there?" Elaine asked. "Six months ago we sent Frundsberg and Paler down to the Abyss with a thousand of the best men in Vale and none of them made it out alive."

The phantom let out a sigh. "When we get there we'll worry about Frundsberg and Paler. For now, we need to focus on convincing Ozpin and Ironwood to allow the mission."

oxoxoxo

When Maria entered her team's room, all three of her teammates were busy. Francois was loading a magazine of ammo for _Mademoiselle, _and Thatch and Alison were sitting on the former's bed, with his arm around her. The second she opened the door, however, all eyes were on her, as all three asked the same question: "What happened?"

Maria sighed and gestured for them to sit down. This was going to be a long one. When her team was seated, Maria took her seat across from them and began her story. She had already told them about the run in at the library (Francois had expressed dismay that his "sparring buddy" had neglected to pay him a visit), and they knew that she would have to go in to speak to Fantine today, and now it was time to tell them just what had happened. Once she had explained all of it, however, it still didn't make very much sense. "And after I told him they were working in the North East, he threw me out." Maria concluded.

"Why would he do that?" Francois mused.

"I don't know." Maria muttered. "It's weird, he honestly seemed more rattled about something going on up there than about the intruder."

The room was silent after Maria spoke, no one knowing quite what to say.

The one to break the silence was eventually Francois as the nobleman chuckled slightly. "Well, at least you gave _mon amie la serpente _a good show."

Maria couldn't help but to chuckle a little. "I don't know what you see in her, Francois. I mean, come on, I took her on easily."

"Easy to say when you have a minigun in your shield!" Francois said back, a wide smile on his face.

"I don't know Noble Boy, our fearless leader seemed to have a much easier time with her, even in heels." Thatch chuckled. Alison giggled slightly at the renegade's comment.

Francois snorted and muttered something under his breath. He looked up to see his partner smirking as he always did. "I must ask you something, Thatch, why is it you call me 'Noble Boy?' Isn't the usual line, how you say, 'Pretty Boy?'"

Thatch's smirk just got wider as he chuckled. "The way you dress, you left the average pretty boy behind a long time ago."

Francois glared at his partner for some time, Alison looking at the two with worry, while Maria just rolled her eyes. The boys could be so juvenile sometimes. The centurion cracked a slight grin. "I could always call you pretty boy."

The nobleman turned to his team leader. "That truly isn't necessary, fearless leader-"

"Oh, but I insist," Maria stated. "Pretty Boy."

That got a rise of laughter from the members of her team, even Francois letting out a grudging chuckle. Even so, her mind was barely there, as she was still completely focused on the break-in during the dance and what she still didn't know about it. It was a lot, and no matter how much she thought about it, it still didn't make sense. What was on that island in the North East? She had a feeling it had something to do with what the snake girl was looking for, but she had no idea what.

For now, it seemed there was little she could do but wait and hope for the best.

oxoxoxo

Erik Fantine arrived outside Ozpin's office and knocked on the door. He could hear the voices inside, and definitely recognized each one as Ozpin, Goodwitch and Ironwood as they discussed their next move. The conversation seemed to pause after he knocked, however, Ozpin saying "Come in."

Fantine pushed the door open and gave Ozpin a slight bow. "Good morning Ozpin. Ironwood. Glynda."

"Erik, what did you find out?" Ozpin asked.

Fantine's expression turned grim as he looked Ozpin in the eye. "Nothing good sir. It seems my fears were correct, someone is disturbing The Abyss."

"We swore we would never mention that again." Ironwood cut in. "Especially after what happened to Frundsberg's forces. There wasn't a single survivor from the Night Attack. We sent in an entire army led by two of the most accomplished generals from the last war, and not a single man made it out alive."

"And that's why I propose we don't send an army for this mission, merely a team." Fantine said evenly, cutting off the general. "I will pick from the students a team to go with me to the island and scout it out. We'll find out what's going on, and do a little... population control while we're there."

Ironwood went white in the face. "You want to bring CHILDREN into that hell hole? I've always respected you, Fantine, but the moment we agree to send children into the Abyss and break the vow of silence-"

"The vow should never have been made." Fantine interrupted, his declaration echoing throughout the office, making a silence cascade over the room. No one spoke. The power behind the statement was just too real. Everyone knew why the oath of silence was taken on the subject of the Abyss, as it was likely the most dangerous place in the kingdoms. "It was a foolish belief to think that just because we didn't talk about it, that no trouble would ever come of it. It's time to test just how useful the vow is. If we find no enemy presence on the island, then immediately upon my return, I will submit to an Atlesian military arrest. You yourself may try me if this is the case." The phantom said, gesturing to Ironwood. "However," He continued. "Should I discover reasonable evidence of our enemy meddling in matters they should never have known about, then these students, these hunters, will be just the first to know about this, and we will begin operations in the Abyss anew. No more secrets, no more hiding the threat away hoping it will never bother us. We will solve it." The masked professor held out a hand to the general. "Do we have a deal?"

Ironwood barely moved when Fantine spoke. To his credit, he didn't look the least bit intimidated by the black robed professor even as he made the proposal to bring students to the most dangerous place in Vale and to tell the public about it if there was found to be enemy activity there. The Abyss had been kept secret ever since its discovery in the last Grimm Incursion, and it was supposed to stay that way. But if Fantine was right and there really was someone there who was possibly plotting against the kingdoms... The general looked to Ozpin who gave him a subtle nod. He then looked to Goodwitch who looked down and put a hand on her chin in thought.

"I'd love to take my own team," Fantine said "But there's only one member here, and the others will take a few days to arrive."

"Very well, Fantine. I'll accept." Ironwood said, holding out a hand for the masked professor to take. When Fantine took his hand, however, Ironwood seized it and pulled him in to look him dead in the eye. "But if you want to avoid being tried as a traitor, you had better bring me some damned good evidence. Understood?"

To his credit, Fantine didn't look at all intimidated by the powerful general threatening his freedom. "Deal."

oxoxoxo

Aedan stood behind the bar at the _Last Stop, _as he entertained his only customer at the time. She was a woman a few years younger than him, spunky with long black hair and brown eyes, a slightly rough voice and accent. "Well Mary," The bartender said. "Not that I don't enjoy your company, but don't you have a bar of your own to run?"

Mary Ebonwood gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "Eh, it doesn't open until later today, thought I'd come visit an old friend."

"Old friend? Last I checked, I was your old boss."

Mary shrugged. "Who says you couldn't have been both?"

Aedan gave a hearty laugh. "You make a good point, lass!" He declared. He was about to speak again when his scroll began to ring. "Just a moment, Mary. Hello?"

"_Aedan, it's me. Listen, remember the tracer we put on that White Fang girl? It's active again. She'd headed back to the north east."_

Aedan's face was set in a grim line. He immediately recognized the voice as his partner in crime, the Axman, and he had a sneaking suspicion he knew where the girl was headed. "Just a second, lad." He said, turning to Mary. "Sorry, my dear, but I need you to leave for now. Your next round here is on the house."

"No need for that kind of service, Aedan." Mary insisted as she got up. "I have to get back to the inn anyway." In a few seconds, she was out the door.

As the door shut, Aedan moved to close the bar. "Do you think she's headed back to-"

"_That spot in the middle of the ocean?" _The Axman asked. _"Maybe. Maybe they have an offshore base there or something?"_

Aedan let out a sigh. He knew what was up there, but maybe it would be best for his colleague to find out on his own. "Lad, get back here. I might have a way to get you up there."

There was a slight pause on the other end before the Axman spoke again. _"I'm on my way."_

oxoxoxo

The call was soon given for all first year students to assemble in the amphitheatre, a call that Teams RWBY, JNPR and EMAD happily answered as they met up before the stage as Professor Ozpin took it to stand before the amassed students. From on the stage, Professor Fantine watched the students assemble. All four kingdoms had sent their best and brightest students here of all places, and now all of them were to embark on their first real missions. As Ozpin gave his speech, he couldn't help bug allow a small smile to grace his lips for just a moment. Ozpin was right. The potential these students possessed was... impressive. If for no other reason than that, he smiled. The smile soon vanished however, as he knew that a group of these students was about to accompany him into hell itself. He looked down to his shoes for a moment as he composed himself, Ozpin's speech having faded to background noise as he was forced to remember the last time he was there, facing the strongest enemy he'd ever encountered, the beast's claws slashing across his face and scaring him for life, his screams of pain as his flesh split and his blood was spilled. Unconsciously, he reached up to feel the scars, only to find his mask in the way, thankfully. He shook his head and returned to reality after feeling the cool ceramic against his fingers. Just in time, as Ozpin had just finished his speech and the students were beginning to disperse as they selected their missions.

Let the rest of them decide, but one team was already spoken for, even if they didn't know it.

oxoxoxo

Maria looked at the digital list of missions, the rest of her team standing behind her, the newly recruited Ben Aparte included, the colossal soldier standing stoically behind the rest of the team as they all looked over the list. "What about this one up near the Ognoc forest? It's near the north east so maybe we can do a bit of investigation while we're there?" Maria proposed.

The team all nodded, until one fact made itself clear. "Investigate what, exactly?" Ben asked, folding his arms and frowning at them. As one they all realized that they forgot to tell the soldier about their investigation with Team RWBY.

The awkward silence that followed was deafening, but only lasted so long before Maria spoke again. "Suffice it to say, we've been investigating certain criminal activities that lead back to an island in the north east. We'll explain more on the ride up."

Ben frowned as he thought to himself. She couldn't know about _that _place, could she?

His thoughts didn't go far before he noticed Maria typing their team name into the space required, only for the words _**Access Denied **_to flash across the screen. "What the?" Maria wondered as she tried again. The same result. "What is this?" She said, growing frustrated.

"Having problems?" A new voice asked.

Team EMAD all jumped in surprise and turned to face the speaker. Unsurprisingly, it was professor Fantine. "Professor," Maria began "We were just trying to sign up for this mission and-"

"That won't be necessary." Fantine assured her.

The students all shared a look of confusion. "What?" Thatch asked.

"You heard me mister Edwards."

The hunters shared another look, identical to the last one. "If I may ask, professor," Francois piped up. _"Pourquoi?"_

"It's simple, really. The five of you have been personally selected to accompany me personally on a mission." Fantine explained. "I even have the approval of Ozpin, imagine that." The mouths of Team EMAD hung open at the professor's words. "You're likely wondering why, well I can assure you that all will be explained on the trip to the north east. Meet me at five sharp at this airship." The phantom explained, handing Maria a slip of paper with a number written on it. "Don't be late." He said, turning to walk away.

The hunters watched with confusion as the enigmatic professor left, his long black cape billowing behind him. Maria looked on after him. "This can't be a coincidence." She muttered.

"What do you mean?" Thatch asked.

"This morning Professor Fantine asks me about the intruder and I let it slip that she might be operating with others in the north east," Maria answered. "Now, he's recruiting my team for a mission in the very location I told him they were likely working."

"Why do you think he picked us?" Alison asked. "Why us and not some older, more experienced team?"

As the team discussed the possible reasons why, Ben largely kept to himself. Secretly he suspected he knew why they were picked, and it was likely partly because of him. After all, his mentor vanished along with his entire army in the north east on... that island... The desire to tell Maria and her team about just what he knew was strong, but he knew he could be punished severely for it. After all, the punishment for breaking the oath of silence he took was death. Deciding it would be safer to keep his mouth shut, the soldier didn't say a word.

oxoxoxo

Closing the _Last Stop, _Aedan stepped into the storeroom in the back, where he had agreed to meet his partner in crime. It wasn't long before he arrived, the lights going out for only a moment before the Axman appeared, nary a footstep heard as he entered. "I was wondering how you'd make your entrance, lad." Aedan commented.

"You know me," the vigilante said "I like to keep it simple or make it fancy, I figured simple would be a good choice this time."

Aedan shook his head. "You never cease to amaze."

"It's my charm." The Axman responded. "Now, you wanted to talk about something?"

The bartender nodded. "Aye lad, I did. I might have a way for you to get up to the north east to investigate. There's a shuttle full of hunter initiates leaving from Beacon Academy later today headed up there."

The Axman looked at his quizzically. "How did you figure that out?" He mused.

"I might have mentioned what I did before I was a bartender, didn't I?" Aedan said. Upon the confused look from his companion he let out a sigh. "Before I moved to Vale, I was a member of the Atlesian Military Intelligence Division. My old contacts there have told me there's a mission, funded by Atlas leaving from Beacon tonight."

"And they just so happen to be heading in the same direction as our favourite snake girl?" The Axman asked.

Aedan nodded. "Aye, they're investigating possible White Fang activity in the area. I thought you might want to head up with them, give those bastards some hell of your own."

The Axman put his head in his hand. "You think they'd appreciate me joining them?"

The bartender let out a short snort of laughter. "In all likelihood, if they found out you were there, they'd probably call the authorities."

"What, are you trying to get me arrested?"

"What, you think they'd notice you if you were really trying? You of all people should know there are other ways into somewhere besides the obvious one."

The vigilante seemed to muse on this for a moment before that familiar grin came to the unmasked portion of his face. "You might just have a point, and I might just have a plan to get in. Any other bits of last minute advice?"

Aedan's face suddenly took on a slightly darker look. "There is something you should know. How much do you know about your past?"

The Axman looked to his partner with a quizzical grimace. "You of all people should know I don't remember very much. You were the one who found me and trained me to fight. Hell, I don't even know my full name, you were the one who told me my first name-"

"Rick." Aedan finished. "There are some parts of your past that link back to the north east of Vale. Part of your past that made you into what you are today, a part of you locked deep in your mind."

Rick, the Axman, narrowed his eyes behind his black mask. "What are you saying?"

Aedan sighed. "Just try and remember who you are, and that some things should be kept locked away for good reasons." He said, walking over to the vigilante and handing him a slip of paper. "According to my sources, this shuttle leaves in two hours for the north east. If you can find a way onboard, it's simple from there."

Rick smiled as he took the paper from Aedan. He looked at the number scrawled on the paper and then back to his companion. "Thank you Aedan. For everything."

The bartender put a hand on the Axman's shoulder and looked him dead in the eye. "We'll see if you still want to thank me after you see what's up there. Now go, you have to be up at Beacon before the ship leaves."


	16. Chapter 13: Field Trip II

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 13**

**oxoxoxo**

The Vale City Prison was mostly quiet these days. After the break in by the blue coated White Fang soldiers, the prison had upgraded from the standard AK130 droids to the new and improved Atlesian Knight model, an entire battalion of which was currently stationed at the prison and were suppressing any misbehaviour with harsh punishment that was just on the border of illegal. The Knights knew the prisoners couldn't do anything about it, that's why they employed it.

None of that, however, mattered to one inmate of the prison. One man sat alone in his cell, his hair having grown longer and wild since his incarceration just over a month ago. He looked malnourished, with the prison jumpsuit hanging over his skeleton loosely as though he hadn't eaten his entire stay. His green eyes were wild, the heavy weight of madness clearly still weighing on him, the guilt of his past deeds, the actions that led him to this moment. They weighed heavily on him, and any who spoke to him could see it in the look in his eyes or the slight quiver in his voice every few words. The kind of voice that made him sound like a man who had lost everything.

That said, there was still a gleam in those eyes, a sparkle that someone would have to look hard for. This was a man with one more hope in the world.

"Prisoner 59610."

Curtis Marlow looked up at the speaker. The monotonous voice had come from one of the many Knights guarding the prison. "Yes, what is it?" The veteran replied, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

"You have a visitor. Please follow me." The droid responded, unlocking Marlow's cell.

The veteran got to his feet as three more Knights approached his cell. "I have an escort?" He muttered.

"You are considered a dangerous prisoner." The Knight responded. "The warden has stated that we are to escort you to the meeting with your visitor. Should you make any attempt to attack him or escape at any point in the visit, we have been given permission to shoot to kill if necessary. Please follow us."

Marlow raised his hands in surrender and followed the droid out of the cell, two of the others flanking him, while another stood behind him. They started walking out of the ward he was held in, the other prisoners watching as he left, wondering just who would have come to visit the man who almost never spoke and barely even ate. It would remain a mystery to them, as they would never see his visitor.

The machines guided Marlow out of his ward and down one of the hallways. The veteran didn't even question where they were bringing him. He didn't care. It made little difference to him who was visiting, as no matter who it was, they couldn't change who he was, what he'd done or what he'd become. The second he detonated that bomb in the Emerald Forest he had thrown away everything he had ever been. Every person he had ever saved, every battle he had ever fought, every moment he'd ever shared with his team, all of it was gone the instant he pressed that button. Marlow let out a sigh. He would just have to live with the consequences.

The Knights led the veteran into the prison's interrogation room and closed the door behind him, one of the knights entering with him and handcuffing him to the table as he sat down in the chair provided. "Is this necessary? The door is locked, I'm not going anywhere."

"Your visitor requested to meet you here," the Knight replied. "We must ensure his safety."

With those words, the Knight turned and marched out of the room, the door closing and locking behind him. Marlow leaned back in the chair and rubbed his temple with his free hand. It occurred to him that the Knights had locked the door behind them. How did his visitor plan on getting in? That's when Marlow felt a familiar chill running up his spine. The familiar sense that he was being watched. The same feeling he had felt in both the army and at Beacon on a seemingly daily basis. "Erik. I know you're here."

The phantom chuckled slightly before stepping into his field of view. "You've gotten sloppy, old friend."

"Yes, well, when one is deprived of a sensation, one tends to forget it." Marlow replied. "As such, not being watched from an unseen being has left me slightly bereft of practice. What do you want?"

Fantine's voice lost all trace of humour as he sat across from his former colleague. "It seems an old issue from the war has reared its head once again." He said, unplugging the microphone on the table. "Someone is meddling in the Abyss."

Marlow's eyes widened. "What? Who in the right mind would ever go to that hellhole?"

"It seems it may be the White Fang." Fantine explained. "One of the two who broke in here snuck into Beacon and searched our records for information."

Marlow nodded. "Those two are tricky." He muttered, remembering who they worked with. "Their leader is... She's..." The veteran choked up as he spoke. He knew just who she was, but a part of him was hesitant to say anything to the phantom.

"She's what, Curtis?" Erik asked. "Any information you can give me would help."

The veteran sighed. "I know, Erik. I'm sorry." He took a deep breath. "Her name is Caroline Leon. She's the daughter of one of my old teammates."

"Ah yes, Gustav." Erik mused. "I remember him. Good man he was. What more can you tell me about her?"

Marlow sighed. "Less than I would like to. She carries her father's rifle, but that's all I can say."

Erik nodded. "Any detail helps, old friend."

The veteran sighed. "I just don't understand. Why now? Why the Abyss?"

Fantine frowned. "If only I knew, old friend. The Abyss was the one mission our teams worked on together before yours was called to Ognoc. Even so, I see no reason why anyone would go back."

Marlow mirrored the phantom's expression. "Wait, it wasn't just us on that mission. There was that cartographer, Blanch. What happened to him? Could he have something to do with this?"

The phantom shook his head. "It can't be. Blanch died after you and the others left. I saw him be dragged off by those... creatures while my team was surrounded."

"My apologies."

"No need." Erik said, holding up a hand. "You didn't know."

Marlow frowned once again. "Erik, I have one question." He said, making the black robed professor look him in the eye. "Why tell me this?"

"You were one of the few men to accompany me and my team to the Abyss. As such, you're one of the few who even know of its existence." Erik explained. "And if I'm going to march into hell itself, I want to tell someone who knows what I'm getting into. Ironwood and Ozpin know of its existence, but neither of them ever stepped foot on that cursed island. We did. We know what's there. We know about the cursed beasts that lived there. And the being..." Erik paused, seemingly unable to continue. He scowled at the ground as memories of... that thing... passed before his eyes

The veteran nodded. "I think I understand."

"Though, in the coming weeks, that may change." Fantine said.

Curtis looked at him strangely. "What do you mean?"

In answer, Erik rose from his seat and walked to the door. "If I find evidence of the White Fang in the Abyss, Ironwood will tell the public about this." With his back to Marlow, Fantine missed the shocked expression that he bore. "If I can't, however, I just might be joining you in here." With that, Erik opened the door and left.

Marlow barely noticed as the Atlesian Knights hauled him to his feet and practically dragged him back to his cell. The veteran had gone completely numb. What was Erik thinking?

oxoxoxo

Derek Blanch was most displeased and his bodyguard Bartholomew could sense that just by being around him. The black hooded mercenary watched as his employer paced his office. "That blasted lioness is going to be the end of me." He muttered as he paced the room. Ever since Caroline had left with her men to search for the missing soldiers, the White Fang had done next to nothing to aid in the cause. Some had helped out, but more than likely due to fear of Derek and Bartholomew temporarily outweighing their loyalty to their commander.

"You did execute one of her men." Bartholomew pointed out, chuckling slightly as he leaned on one of the walls.

"You're not helping." Derek muttered.

"You hired me to protect you and to hit things. Neither of those include being the human resources guy."

"Touche." Blanch replied as he continued to pace. Without the White Fang doing proper work, he might need to hire more men of his own. Bartholomew had reached out to some of his old shipmates, but there were only so many, and unlike the White Fang, there might be someone, somewhere who cared if they died. The White Fang were a cheap, expendable force, as even the faunus they claimed to champion had grown to hate them due to their barbaric tactics. "We need to convince that girl to allow her men to work again."

"That might be difficult." Bartholomew replied. The black hooded mercenary held out his scroll to his employer. "I slipped a tracer on one of her snakes. Last night she slipped into Vale."

"And," Derek continued. "What's your point?"

"She might have gone in to get more information on this place." Bartholomew replied. "And you told me about a certain man living in Vale who might know a thing or two about this place."

"Fantine..." Blanch muttered. "She couldn't know about him. There's no possible way."

"It's not likely, but it's possible." The mercenary replied. "If she finds out what this place is-"

"It's unlikely she'll even get close." Derek said, cutting him off. The black haired man adjusted his suit and scowled. "There's a reason this place is a secret."

Meanwhile, across the base, Caroline sat in an office chair as Micca and Wun stood before her, the snake sisters snapping off salutes. "At ease you two." Caroline said, the two sisters relaxing immediately. "What did you find in Vale?"

Wun stepped forward and placed a small flash drive in front of her commander. "The data is incomplete, I'm sorry."

The lioness picked up the drive and looked it over. "How much did you manage to get?"

"There's information on the creatures outside and what they can do." Wun replied. "Apparently they're called 'Inferri.' It's old Mistralli for 'the dead.'"

Caroline looked over the drive, eyes narrowing behind her Grimm mask. "You said the data was incomplete?"

"I was... interrupted." Wun replied. "Some huntress wannabe and a professor at Beacon showed up about halfway through and destroyed the computer I was working from. I was able to salvage some of it, but I didn't get any information on what this place is or anything that happened here."

The blue coated lioness growled softly, taking one last look at the drive before placing it in a pocket of her greatcoat. "What about our gracious host? Could you find anything on him?"

"Just one piece of information:" The younger snake said. "He's the one who wrote the paper on those things."

Caroline frowned. "Blanch wrote the document you found?"

"Him and someone by the name of E Fantine." Wun stated. "That Fantine guy is also the same one who wrote about this place, the Abyss in the other document. The one I couldn't get."

Caroline sighed and looked up at her two subordinates. The two snake sisters were her most loyal troops and neither one would ever doubt her, both of them being willing to follow her into this hell hole. "At least you got this data." Caroline said. "Are you both okay?"

Wun nodded, her sister Micca stepping forward. "We're fine, why do you ask ma'am?"

"Your sister was attacked by an accomplished huntsman and a huntress in training. Either one would be a difficult fight." Caroline said. She looked both of them in the eye from behind her mask. "You'll have to forgive me for caring about my most loyal comrades, dare I say, friends."

Micca and Wun both gave their commander a salute and a smile. "We might be stuck in hell," Micca began. "But with you leading us, the devil himself would be worried."

Caroline gave a tiny smile and returned their salute. "You are dismissed, but stay close and stay together. Blanch and Bartholomew are still running this place, and after pissing them off, we need to be more careful."

The snake sisters snapped to attention. "Yes ma'am!"

oxoxoxo

Their supplies gathered, Team EMAD and Ben Aparte placed their bags next to the airship Fantine had told them to meet at. The ship was slightly longer and larger than the average Bullhead and had four engines rather than the usual two. The professor, however, was still absent. When Maria called him on her scroll, the phantom had said that he would be in town for a while and that he would call them to the ship when he returned. Deciding to take some time to socialize a bit, Team EMAD dropped their bags with the ship and left for the main courtyard where they arrived just in time to watch the ever eccentric Doctor Oobleck speed away from a flabbergasted Team RWBY. Smirking slightly, Maria led her team up to meet them. "Having fun Ruby?"

Ruby jumped slightly at the voice, but quickly turned, along with her team, to face the five hunters before them. "Oh, Maria. Yeah, I guess, we're off to save the world with Doctor Ooble... okay yeah when you say it out loud it sounds worse..." Ruby said, voice dropping in pitch as she spoke until she was barely mumbling.

Maria chuckled before another voice broke the silence. "Save the world!?" Nora demanded as Team JNPR approached. "You're going on world saving missions WITHOUT US!? I'm hurt, sad, maybe a little hungry... That last one's not your fault though, Ren..." the hammer wielder growled, glaring at her partner. The stoic martial artist turned away and folded his arms haughtily.

"Sounds exciting." Jaune said. Maria turned to look at the knight to see he carried a long crate under one arm. "Where are you going?" He asked.

"Oh, just outside the kingdom." Ruby answered. Maria though, had stopped paying attention. She had a sneaking suspicion she knew what was in that crate.

"Hey! So are we!" Nora declared.

"Ren and Nora wanted to shadow the sheriff of a nearby willage." Pyrrha explained.

"We set out tomorrow." Said Ren.

"Then you can party with us tonight!" Neptune declared as he and Sun joined the conversation. "We're shadowing a crime specialist. All inner city stuff. We get junior badges." Neptune said, switching into smooth talker mode. He might have been trying to impress Weiss, but the one who seemed most enthralled with the idea of badges was Jaune, the knight looking about one second from fainting.

"We normally go to the city with you guys, which means stuff's always exploding and junk." Sun explained, the he never seemed to have a problem with that.

"Since when do you have a problem with a little excitement?" Thatch asked.

Sun waved him off. "Pshhh, me? Tired of excitement? Get real! I just want to check out the city when it's, you know, normal?"

"Normal? In Vale?" Thatch asked.

Sun was silent for a moment. "... Good point..."

"Well-" Ruby began.

"Four minutes, ladies!" Oobleck called from the ship he waited on, making the members of Team RWBY cringe. The other teams all smirked and tried not to laugh. Even Ben looked like he was having a hard time.

"Well, uh..." Ruby tried again. "Wish us luck." She declared before she and her team set off for the ship.

Teams EMAD and JNPR walked off, Sun and Neptune following them. "So," Sun asked, looking at Team EMAD. "Where are you five off to."

Maria frowned at the question. "We're not sure." She admitted. "We were recruited by Professor Fantine to assist him in the north east, but we don't know just what we'll be doing there."

"Yikes." Neptune said. "I had one class with that guy and already he seriously creeps me out."

"Hey, he's not that bad." Said Jaune.

"I never said he was bad," Neptune corrected. "Just really creepy."

"Jaune's got a point though." Alison added "Professor Fantine is a decent man behind that mask."

"I never thought you, of all people would defend him." Nora said. "I figured you'd be terrified of him."

Alison was quiet for a moment as her face brightened slightly. "Well, there was that one time he made it look like I was in a huge crowd in the middle of his class because I zoned out..." She muttered. That got a few chuckles out of the group.

"Alison's right though." Maria said, putting a hand on her partner's shoulder. "The professor knows what he's doing in combat. He must know a lot to be one of Ozpin's, right?"

"I guess so." Neptune acquiesced.

"See?" Jaune said. "He's not a bad guy."

"By the way, Jaune," Maria said, getting the knight's attention. "Can I talk to you and Pyrrha for just a moment? I have a question." She said, casting her eyes down to the long crate Jaune still held.

The knight and Amazon in question followed her gaze and looked each other in the eye for a moment before both nodded. "Sure." Jaune said. "We'll be right back guys." With that, Maria led Jaune and Pyrrha off to the side of the courtyard, far enough away from the other students that they wouldn't be heard. "What is it?" Jaune asked, having a feeling he already knew what Maria wanted.

Maria put a hand on the crate Jaune held. "If this contains what I think it does..." Jaune nodded. "Then you're bringing it on the mission with you?"

Jaune sighed. "It only seems right, you know?" He said, looking at the crate as though his gaze alone would give him perfect understanding of its contents. Unfortunately, no matter how much studying of what the crate contained, he still didn't know what it did or how it worked. "It was always used on missions just like this one..." Jaune muttered "Shouldn't I carry on its legacy?"

"Don't let it choose for you, Jaune." Maria admitted, sounding slightly ashamed. "I tried to make a choice for you and it didn't work, make the choice for yourself and it'll go better."

Jaune frowned in thought as he resumed staring at the crate. "It's just... I get the sense that it wants to be held, to be used in battle once again. It wants to go into battle again."

Maria put a hand on Jaune's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "If you think it's the best idea, go ahead, just make sure it's your own choice, not that of your pride."

"It really is my choice." Jaune assured her. "I got this sword, and I want to take it with me. I'll still take my usual sword with me, but I'll just have this one as an extra, you know?"

"In the end, I can't really stop you." Maria conceded. "I can wish you luck though. When I turned you in to Ozpin, a part of me really did believe you weren't meant for this. It's time for you to prove me wrong."

Jaune gave her a cocky grin. He placed the crate on the ground and pulled off the lid, revealing the sheathed form of _Excalibur _inside. Jaune pulled the longsword from the crate and strapped the sheathed blade of _Excalibur _to his hip opposite his sword _Crocea Mors. _"I'd be happy to."

Pyrrha watched as her partner and leader took up his father's blade. She had never felt more proud to call him her leader in her life. That was when she realized something. "Maria, why did you call me over if you only wanted to talk to Jaune?"

The centurion turned to face her rival, her crimson eyes boring into the Amazon's emerald orbs. "O there is a very important reason I asked to talk to you, Pyrrha." Maria said, expression growing serious as she glared at her bronze clad rival. "As you know, we'll both be setting out on missions into dangerous territory." Maria grabbed the Amazon by the shoulder and roughly held her there, forcing her to hold eye contact. "You had better make it back. After all, I still have to beat you."

With Maria's last words, both she and Pyrrha broke out into wide smiles, though the centurion was certainly surprised when her rival grabbed her by her chestplate and hauled her close. "Then you'd better make it back as well. I need a good challenge." She said with a wicked grin.

"Well, isn't this just charming." Said a new voice. The three hunters in training turned to see the source of the voice. The one who had spoken was Lieutenant General Julia Gaia. Maria's sister stood at her full five foot eleven of height, dressed in a gleaming, silver chainmail hauberk with four bronze medals, each one bearing the symbol of one of the four kingdoms on it. Beneath that she wore a crimson tunic and a matching skirt that reached down to her knees. Covering the rest of her legs were a pair of knee high steel toed boots with metal plates along the fronts. Running down her back from her shoulders to the ground was a long, red cape and atop her head was her red crested galea helm. She was also armed to the teeth, her left hand holding a crimson scutum shield, while in her right she held a pilum javelin, finally, crossed over the small of her back were a pair of swords, a gladius, like that of her sister, and a longer spatha blade. "So, this is the girl who beat you, little sister." The general stated.

"Yes, sister." Maria growled. "Pyrrha Nikos, Jaune Arc, this is my sister, Julia Gaia, Lieutenant General of the Atlesian Armed Forces."

Neither Jaune nor Pyrrha spoke as the general looked them over with a scowl as though waiting for them to flee so she could give chase. "She managed to beat you?" Julia said derisively as she looked over Pyrrha. "I must say, I'm not impressed."

"Well, it's hard to beat someone when she can turn your own armour against you." Maria countered.

"You should always have a counter strategy ready, little sister." Julia said. "If not, then you end up taking a feather through the leg or signing up for huntress training simply to follow your rival."

"Are you really still on that?" Maria demanded. "You just can't accept that I think this is the right thing to do! You're so set in your ways and the ways of our family that you can't see the real threat to the kingdoms! When the Grimm break down the walls of Vale, Mistral, Vaccuo and even Atlas, hunters will be what is needed. While the military is training to fight man made threats, monsters are preparing to kill us all and we are training to fight them."

"So it's just a coincidence that your arch rival is here then." Julia stated.

"No, that's because we both chose the most prestigious academy for hunters we could." Maria replied, venom in her words. "Is it so hard to believe, dearest sister."

The general cocked an eyebrow and shook her head. "My forces will be guarding the city while you and your fellow hunters are out on your little missions." Julia said. "I need to get back to _The_ _Rubicon, _I'll be on guard duty until all your comrades get back."

"And when she gets back, mission successful, she'll have shown you just how useful hunters are." Pyrrha interjected, her usual kind expression stone cold. "I won't hear you slandering one of my friends just because she broke with tradition." The Amazon said, moving to stand between the Gaia sisters.

Julia glared into Pyrrha's eyes, but the bronze clad warrior didn't budge. She sighed. "I have a ship to run. Best of luck, little sister. Don't die out there." With that, the general turned on her heel and marched off to her ship.

oxoxoxo

Velvet pouted as she sat with Alison, Thatch and Francois outside the airship that would soon take them to their mission. Ben had said that he would wait for Maria while they waited at the ship. "I can't believe you're leaving now." The bunny girl groaned. "I just got back and now you're going on a new mission."

Francois wrapped an arm around the shoulders of his girlfriend. "It's just a first year mission." The nobleman assured her. "We'll be fine, and I'll be back in no time."

Thatch looked up at the nobleman suspiciously. He wanted to speak, but the presence of Velvet made him rethink that idea.

"I know." Velvet said, breaking the renegade out of his thoughts. "I just thought I'd get to see you for a bit longer than I did."

Francois put a hand under her chin and tilted it up to look him in the eye. "At least we had our dance, _mon cherie."_

Velvet turned scarlet at his words and she let out a giggle. "You never did tell me what that meant."

"Did I not?" the marksman muttered to himself mostly. "Then I will tell you when I return."

"You said you'd tell me when I got back though."

"_Oui madam, _however, I need motivation to return as well, do I not?"

Velvet gently smacked him on the arm and pouted. "I hate you sometimes."

The nobleman tilted up her chin and planted a kiss on her lips for a second. "I sense that most of the time you do not, however." He said as Velvet once again turned red.

As Francois reassured his girlfriend, Thatch sat against the door of the airship, his face set in a frown as Alison laid her head down on his lap. "Is something wrong?" She asked, noticing his expression.

Thatch looked down into her eyes, but his expression was still set in a frown as he did. "Noble Boy over there seems pretty confident, but we don't even know where we're going. I can't help but worry that he's getting Velvet's hopes up a bit too early."

Alison reached up and put a hand on his face. "You're nervous?"

The renegade sighed. "As much as I'm usually one to fly by the seat of my pants in a fight, I like to know just what I'm up against before the fight starts. With this mission, we don't even know where we're going or what's there. It's just us, Ben and the professor against something only he seems to know about."

Alison sat up and put an arm around Thatch's shoulders. "At least we have each other, and we have Maria again."

The swordsman let a small smile grace his lips. "You have a point. We've never faced anything that could beat us before and we have our fearless leader back again." He said, reciprocating the artist's gesture and putting an arm around her. "I never thought you'd be the one working to calm me down."

The black haired girl smirked. "I've been around you and the rest of our team for a while now, maybe I've picked a few things up."

"Maybe you have." Thatch said with a smile. "Have I ever mentioned how glad I am you ended up on my team?"

"You might have said something at some point." Alison said, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Well, it's true. You're great as a person and a teammate."

The artist blushed. "I'm not that great..." She muttered.

"Don't sell yourself short." Said a new voice. Team EMAD looked up to see that Maria and Ben were approaching, the giant soldier standing behind the centurion like a massive bodyguard. "After all, Alison, it was you who organized the effort to save me in the Emerald Forest."

"Yeah..." Alison admitted "But then it was my fault you were injured by the Nevermore."

"But if you hadn't brought the team out, I wouldn't have lived long enough to get that injury." Maria said. "This team has a use for each of its members." She continued, turning to face Ben. "And now that you're one of our members, you'll have one as well."

The colossal soldier snapped a salute to his new leader. "Yes ma'am!"

"Cut that out." Maria ordered. "We're not on active duty right now, you don't need to do that."

Ben scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, force of habbit."

Maria sighed. "You need to remember, while you're on my team, you're not just another soldier. You're a huntsman. You follow directions in battle and on missions, until then, I might give the occasional order, but unless I do, you're fairly autonomous." She said, turning to her other teammates. "I'm guessing the professor hasn't arrived yet?"

"Not yet." Thatch said as he and Alison stood up. "He should be back by this point, shouldn't he?"

"Indeed I should." Said a voice form behind all of Maria. "The entire team turned as one to find the cloaked form of Professor Fantine behind them. "You're all on time, lovely." He continued. "I apologize Miss Scarlatina, but I will have to ask you to leave. Team EMAD and I will be leaving soon, and you need to get back to your team."

Velvet nodded and stood up, Francois getting up with her. "I will see you when I return." Francois promised.

The faunus girl nodded and pulled the nobleman into an embrace, planting a kiss on his lips. The two of them separated after a few seconds, each one staring into the eyes of the other. "Be careful. Promise me?"

Francois nodded, "I promise. I will return to you."

"I'm holding you to that." Velvet said, releasing Francois form her embrace before turning and walking away. The nobleman watched after her wistfully as she left. There was nothing he wanted more than to just stay here at Beacon with her, but his duty as a huntsman came before his desires and so he turned back to the masked professor that would be leading the mission as he approached the airship and opened the door.

"Grab your bags and your weapons." Fantine ordered . "We leave once you're all aboard."

The hunters all nodded and picked up their bags, following the professor onto the ship. Alison picked up the meagre bag of her belongings, collapsed _Pianji _into its smaller form and reached into her bag, producing the slender form of the jian sword Thatch had given her before asking her to the dance. While she was no master of the blade, she had certainly taken some time to test out the new weapon, finding out that the dust crystal embedded in the hilt was a lightning crystal. She may not have been the greatest fighter with a sword, but it was still a weapon with a special meaning to her, a gift from a teammate, a friend, and... she wasn't sure what she and Thatch were now, but with the weapon he had made her by her side, she felt like she couldn't lose.

Francois checked the supply of ammunition for _Mademoiselle _before slinging the rifle over his back and picking up his bags. Aside from extra ammo and equipment for making field repairs to his armour, he also carried something special, something given to him by Velvet. It was a small token of her faith and hopes in him, it was worth more than the entirety of his family's wealth to him. It was a small chocolate brown handkerchief with her symbol on it. He kept it in his pocket, wanting to keep it with him for the entire mission. It was his motivation to fight, a symbol of what he was coming home to.

Thatch scooped up his bag of supplies and adjusted his hat on his head. He knew they were all but walking blindly into a mission, but Alison was right. They were going in as a team, with reinforcements and a guide who would also aid them in battle. That said, He wished he could have known more about just what they were getting into. Checking to make sure _Anne _and _Elizabeth _were still at his hips and extra ammo was stored in his coat, the renegade proudly stood alongside his teammates as they boarded.

Ben looked around at the students who had welcomed him onto their team, even after leading them into one of their greatest failures in battle. In truth, he was happy to be among them, though what Professor Fantine had said still worried him. They couldn't be going where he thought they were, could they? It was highly unlikely, but still possible, after all, he knew some people other than those in the army knew of The Abyss, but they were rare. The soldier shook his head to clear it. No matter where the team was going, he would back them up, even if they were going where he desperately hoped they weren't.

Finally, there was Maria. The centurion, her blade sheathed at her hip and her bag slung over her shoulder picked up her shield and fell into step with her teammates. She carried the same fears as the rest of her team, knowing they were heading into the unknown. That said, after seeing just what her teammates could do and knowing just how much they'd trained for just this kind of scenario, her fears were quieted. Her teammates had saved her life before, and now, having gone through the experiences at the end of last semester, fighting against an army of Grimm, she was confident that they could take on anything the north east could throw at them.

Taking one last look back at the shining structure of Beacon Academy, Team EMAD turned and stepped into the dustplane, the doors shutting behind them as they did. In just a moment, they felt the craft lift off the ground. As the hunter initiates laid their bags on the ground, Fantine approached them. "As I'm sure you're all wondering just why I made the request that you all accompany me on this mission, I'll answer that question for you. In five minutes, I want you all to meet me on the bridge, all will be explained there. Any questions?"

None of the students spoke.

"Good. I will see you all on the bridge." With that, the masked professor turned with a flourish of his cape and walked off.


	17. Chapter 14: The Abyss I

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 14**

**oxoxoxo**

As Professor Fantine instructed, Team EMAD met him aboard the bridge of the dustplane where a table and six chairs were set up, one at the head of the table and the others along the sides, three on one side and two on the other, a massive window behind the head chair showing the progress the airship made as it flew them toward their destination. The masked professor had taken the seat at the table's head, without a word he gestured to the other chairs. The young hunters took their seats, Maria and Ben sitting on one side while Alison, Thatch and Francois sat on the other. The chamber was eerily silent, the only sounds being those of the engines outside propelling the aircraft into the unknown. No one seemed to want to break the silence, the students having learned to respect when their professor wished for silence. Fantine, however, seemed to enjoy the uncomfortable silence, enjoying the sight of his pupils occasionally fidgeting in their seats. However, as much as he enjoyed the discomfort of others, he was a huntsman first and foremost. "I'm sure you're all wondering just where it is we're going and why it is I chose to bring you five in particular with me." No one said a word. No one needed to respond, the answer was already obvious. "Allow me to answer your questions. However, nothing said here can leave here unless I tell you otherwise, understood?"

Team EMAD gave a collective nod, but their newest member gulped heavily. He had a bad feeling he knew where this was going. His discomfort was quickly noticed by the phantom, however and he fixed his icy blue eyes on him. "Is something the matter, Mister Aparte?" He asked. "Is it that you, as a soldier do not like flying into the unknown?"

Ben coughed awkwardly and cleared his throat. "Uh, yes sir, that's it."

Fantine smirked. "You're a terrible liar, Mister Aparte. I suppose it's a good thing no one asked you about this mission before we left. You might have given away that big, international secret you were tasked with keeping." The members of Team EMAD turned to Ben in shock, while the soldier seemed to want to sink into the floor. "Don't worry about him." Fantine continued, getting the attention of Team EMAD. "After all, he was warned not to reveal what he knew on pain of death."

That got the attention of EMAD, the students turning to face their professor. "I'm sure you're all wondering exactly what I'm talking about and what it has to do with this mission. Well, let me explain." Fantine said, pulling out a map of the kingdoms of Remnant. A casual glance at the map told Maria all she needed to know: it was an exact match to the one her team had taken from the White Fang. When he pointed to the island off the north eastern coast, Maria knew that that's where they were heading. "Ten years ago, my team along with the team of Professor Marlow ended up marooned on this island which was, until then, unknown. Upon landing we discovered that this island had no human life on it, though it was far from uninhabited."

"The Grimm?" Alison hazarded a guess.

Fantine closed his eyes and gave a bitter smirk. "If only it were just them. No, this island was home to an even greater threat. Tell me, how many of you know the legend of the Kings of Grimm?" Alison tentatively raised a hand. "Miss Zu?"

"That's the story about the strongest of the Grimm who took control over the creatures in the early days of Remnant, right?" Alison quietly answered.

"You should learn to speak up, girl." Fantine replied. "However, all but one detail of your answer is correct. The only flaw in your response was that this was not a legend. The kings did, in fact, exist. They led the creatures of Grimm in a mass charge against the fledgling humanity, nearly wiping them out before the discovery of dust. With that power in hand, humanity engineered a massive string of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that locked the kings away under the earth itself. To this day, they rest there and the Grimm search tirelessly for them, drawn to their feelings of hatred and resentment for the humans that sealed them away."

The room was silent as Fantine's words sank in. Eventually, Thatch spoke up. "So, are these kings imprisoned on this island?"

Fantine chuckled bitterly. "No no no. If they were all there it would be suicide to even approach the island. No, the Kings were imprisoned all across Remnant, their prisons of earth scattered by early man. However, some have managed to escape their prisons with the aid of their followers, and when one emerges, a Grimm Incursion follows as the King leads his forces across the planet in a rampage of destruction. The first freed was Lycaon, the First Beowolf. He led his pack in a march of destruction that was only halted by the Mistrali generals Leonidas Nikos and Horatius Gaia. Yes, they are exactly who you think they are. The most recent king to rise started the last Grimm Incursion and he made this island his home."

"Wait, sir." Maria piped up. "I thought the last Incursion came from the Ognoc forest."

"You paid attention in class, didn't you?" Fantine said. "In part, that is true. The Grimm forces emerged from Ognoc, and Team AGTM was sent in to deal with that. However, the King made his home on the island we are flying to now. It was called The Abyss." At the mention of the name, the room descended into silence, even the roar of the engines outside seemed to die down. "The island is teeming with Grimm, and when the King awoke, he began to populate the island with creatures of his own design, creatures created using cursed humans and faunus. They were called the Inferri, Old Mistralli for 'The Dead.'"

None of the students spoke after Fantine explained the name. "Once it was discovered that the King was hiding on The Abyss, my team, along with AGTM and a cartographer by the name of Derek Blanch were sent in to investigate and set up a base of operations after mapping out the island. However, after Blanch's job was finished, we were attacked by the Inferri. Blanch didn't make it, I watched him get dragged off by the creatures. After that, AGTM was called off to deal with the Grimm at Ognoc, leaving my team alone at The Abyss. Eventually, we were successful in defeating the King and returned to civilization. However, last year it was discovered that our work was not yet complete. The Inferri still lived."

"What happened then?" Francois asked.

"I was getting to that, don't interrupt." Fantine snapped. "I'm sure at least some of you know about the great general Erwin Frundsberg, hero of the Faunus War and the youngest general in the Vale Army? I know at least two of you know about him, after all, Mister Aparte was his protégé during the war and Miss Gaia wrote an entire paper on him for Marlow's class last semester. Anyway, Frundsberg and another general, Vlad Paler, led an army of men into The Abyss to deal with the rest of the Inferri and make the island safe for colonizing. Their attempt failed, the army vanished and The Abyss was kept a secret from the public as to not scare the populace. However, now we have a theory that someone has returned to the island and is meddling in affairs they should not even know about. This mission is entirely off the books. No one knows where we're going or what we're doing."

"You're taking us to a hostile island where an entire army went missing?" Thatch demanded.

"Calm down, Mister Edwards." Fantine replied. "The army was a massive force that was betrayed from within, so the reports say. A group infiltrated their camp and set fire to it in the night. No one knows who it was, but should we encounter them, we have several ways out. And each and every one of you have a crucial part to play in the operation should we encounter the enemy and be unable to defeat them. Mister Edwards, your semblance should be able to keep them occupied, Mister Delatrois, you will be able to keep us motivated during the mission and our possible escape. We don't need any deserters. Miss Zu, your accuracy will allow you to take down any priority targets we may encounter. Finally, Miss Gaia and Mister Aparte, you two offer a very simple service to our mission: firepower. You alone can outgun any enemy." The phantom explained. "The five of you were chosen for a reason, and on this island you will prove just why you were accepted to Beacon. Are you ready?"

The hunter initiates exchanged a glance. Maria could see it in all her teammates' eyes. They were more nervous now than ever. Even Ben looked uncomfortable. She took a deep breath. "Francois, this is why we need you."

The nobleman nodded and took a deep breath, his eyes turning gold as the sense of calm spread from him to the rest of the team. Her confidence rising, Maria turned to the professor and nodded grimly. "We're ready when you are."

Fantine smirked. "Good. We'll soon be arriving. Prepare yourselves for landing."

True to Fantine's words, the dustplane soon pulled in for a landing. Maria watched from the bridge window as they made their final approach onto a small, wooded island, no more than ten miles across. As the airship pulled in for a landing in a large clearing, the centurion caught sight of several structures dotting the island through the trees. One was clearly a modern structure, likely dating back to the war. It looked to be an old Atlesian Mobile Firebase. These were large dreadnaughts designed to be a mobile fortress on the ground for land based operations. The enemy could fit an entire army into one of those, and the massive clearing it was situated in could offer a lot to their operation. Another looked a lot older, looking like an old Mistralli mausoleum. It was massive, though clearly only one story. However, that meant little, as Maria knew the structure could have several levels below the ground. It could even lead down into caves such as those her team fought in during their initiation. In either case, either of those structures would be good places to start their search for the enemy. The Firebase was closer, so they'd begin their search there. As she lost sight of the structures past the trees as they landed, Maria turned from the windows and walked toward the exit. It was time for her team's first mission. Never had she been happier to be able to walk as she would have no one else leading them.

Ben stood by as the centurion walked past, falling into step behind her as she exited the bridge. "Are you nervous?"

Maria took a deep breath, but didn't turn back. "In truth, yes." Maria confessed as the two of them continued down the halls of the airship toward the exit. "But with my team behind me and a real huntsman to lead us, we'll be done in no time."

"You sound confident." Ben said. "You do know an entire army vanished here, right?"

"That does have me worried, but with a smaller group it'll be harder for the enemy to track us once we leave this ship." Maria continued. "I don't know if whatever hit those men is still here, but I'll make sure we don't make it easy on them if they are."

oxoxoxo

The Axman leapt out of the dustplane's cargo hold as soon as he was close enough to the earth to not make a vigilante shaped crater on impact. He hit the ground hard, landing right outside the treeline before booking it into the forest, staying just close enough to keep watch over the Beacon students as they landed. If his calculations were correct, and the voices in his head never lied so they should be, he had jumped in just the right spot to avoid any detection. Hopefully. Well, if no one saw him sneaking _on _the plane, getting off couldn't be too hard, right?

Either way, he carefully watched as the students and their extra creepy professor jumped from the ship as it neared the ground, the professor barking an order for the ship to leave. With a roar of its engines, the dustplane lifted off and flew away from the island, the pilot likely thanking whatever deity he worshiped that he was able to leave here alive.

The vigilante looked about the area. The island was dominated largely by forest, making large group tactics difficult. He had seen a few buildings on the way down as well as a few large stretches of clearing, likely made by the army clear cutting in their short campaign here. Aedan had warned him of what happened here before he left. Usually, when an entire army went missing on an island along with two of the most famous generals of the previous war, it was a bad sign, but to these hunters it seemed they were undeterred. And him, he saw it as a challenge. To boldly go where no man had left alive before. Well, that was a lie, Aedan had told him that two teams of hunters had survived this place. Well, it was time to make that two teams and one vigilante.

Looking around where he landed, the Axman couldn't help but enjoy himself. Aedan had said this place was hell, but by the look of it, the island could have been a national park, green everywhere, shaded by trees, quiet. He could definitely see himself camping here. He took a deep whiff of the fresh air of the island and almost immediately gagged. There it was, the one problem: the smell. While looking like a national park, The Abyss only smelled of one thing: death. The smell was everywhere, making anyone who landed here know that this place was not the paradise it seemed to be.

Strangely enough though, there was something familiar in the scent. Aedan had mentioned that some part of his past was connected to this place, and now he was certain there was. He knew that smell from somewhere, he just wasn't sure where.

'_Keep moving.' _Said a voice in his head. The Axman had long ago accepted his own madness as a part of him, a constant companion through his solo mission to clean up the streets, and with that madness came the occasional voice in his head. He knew, however, that those voices weren't really there, that they were just a creation of his own mind that would speak to him on occasion. That said, this one was different. It felt like someone was actually speaking to him, talking to him from inside his head. The worst part, it was nearly identical to his own voice, but deeper and angrier.

Whatever the case, the Axman knew the voice was right. If he was going to track down Taipan and find out what the White Fang was up to out here, he needed to get a move on. He looked out towards the team of hunters he had stowed away with. They were headed to the north, one of them saying something about an Atlesian Firebase. As they set off, the Axman followed, giving them just the slightest bit of a head start. He couldn't have them noticing him now, could he?

That said, one part of him was still wondering about the voice that had spoken to him in his head. It had started right after he had smelled the air on the island. It worried him even more when it spoke again.

'_Don't worry about me, follow them.'_

oxoxoxo

Unbeknownst to Team EMAD or anyone else aboard the dustplane, but two more sets of eyes watched them land.

The first had long been filled with weary resignation, though the sight of the airship had begun to renew his hope. Perhaps someone had finally come to renew his mission. Even without his army, he knew the mission was a vital one that would need to be completed.

The second pair watched the landing with what could only be described as a mad curiosity. It had been over six months since the Night Attack, or so he thought. Time was so hard to tell when you were alone with only the occasional White Fang to kill. He could only wonder if these newcomers were different, or just more of the same. Deciding to find out, the madman picked up his weapon and set off in the direction of the ship's landing site. After all, his first visitors in months deserved a greeting.

oxoxoxo

Caroline Leon sat in her office, sitting at her desk and looking through the data Wun had brought back. The Inferri were certainly an interesting specie, spreading their curse through bites. The second a bite breached the skin and hit blood vessals the curse began to spread, killing the victim slowly and reviving them as one of their own. Apparently, no cure was known and the only sure way to kill these creatures was a direct shot to the brain which now controlled the whole body.

Caroline frowned as she continued reading. These creatures were known for over a decade, but yet, no one outside of a select few even knew they existed. She had to wonder why, after all, these creatures were highly dangerous, lethal even, but yet they governments of the world had swept them under the rug, running the risk that an unsuspecting ship would land here, possibly even try to settle here.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her scroll on her desk, the noise jarring her out of her stupor. She picked up the scroll and answered it. "This is Commander Leon, go ahead."

"_Commander," _Said Micca on the other end of the call. The elder of the snake sisters had been set on lookout duty on the roof of the Firebase the White Fang had taken over, looking to make sure they didn't get an unwelcome visit from the Inferri. _"A dustplane just touched down on the island."_

"So?" Caroline asked. "Didn't Blanch make a call for a few dustplanes?"

"_It touched down on the other side of the island." _Micca continued. _"It's not one of ours. Someone else is here."_

Caroline's eyes widened behind her mask. If someone else was here, their operation risked being found out and possibly compromised. This could require an intervention. "Take your sister and investigate, report back to me immediately when you find out who landed. Understood."

"_Yes ma'am!" _The snake confirmed. _"The dustplane is taking back off, either they're retreating or, more likely, they've dropped off a team."_

"Take Wun and track them down, I want to know who's here and what they're here for."

"_Understood, Taipan out."_

With the call disconnected, Caroline placed her scroll back on her desk and picked up the datapad Wun had brought to her. Though the information was not complete, there was still more she could learn from it. Closing the file on the Inferri, Caroline looked over what remained, what little there was. One file in particular caught her attention. It was titled Field Reports: E. Fantine.

Caroline frowned as she opened it. She knew that this Fantine character was the man who wrote most of the documents on the creatures that she had, so his reports on the missions that took place here had to be worth something. She opened the first report and began reading.

_Fantine's Log_

_(DATE REDACTED)_

_(TIME REDACTED)_

_(LOCATION CLASSIFIED)_

_My team and I have landed on the Abyss, Team AGTM is with us, as is a cartographer by the name of Derek Blanch._

Caroline's eyes widened as she read the name of the cartographer. So that was how Blanch knew about this place. He had been sent on a mission here, and not only that, her father had come with him. Her curiosity piqued, the lioness kept reading.

oxoxoxo

Team EMAD followed closely behind Professor Fantine as they made their way quietly through the trees, the professor constantly on the lookout for any movement as they continued onward. Following his example, Maria had her team watching the trees for anything that moved. After what felt like hours of walking in silence, Maria tentatively spoke up. "Professor," She said softly. "You never did tell us what exactly the creatures on this island are."

The phantom suddenly called the group to a halt, each student readying a weapon as Fantine held up a hand, ordering them to stop. Maria raised her shield and rested her finger on the trigger. Alison drew the sword that Thatch had given her, knowing her zhua would be of little use here in the trees. Thatch gripped his blades tight, knowing that in tight quarters he would be the most useful of the team. Francois rested the stock of his gun against his shoulder, finger pressed against the trigger and ready to fire. Ben was terrified he knew what was coming, but the giant was determined not to show it.

The team remained tense, yet silent, waiting for the order to strike. That's when Maria realized something: the forest was no longer silent. Something could be heard, coming towards them. It was faint, but it was there. It was the sound of footsteps advancing on them.

Before she could say a word, Fantine spun in the direction of the shuffling and hurled a knife. The noise ceased as whatever was hit tumbled audibly to the ground. Fantine advanced in the direction he threw the knife and Team EMAD got their first look at what he hit as the professor pulled the knife out of its head.

It looked human, but it was clearly dead, the man's clothes torn and one of his eyes missing, a hole in his chest where his heart should have been. His skin was deathly pale and his remaining eye was sunken. This wasn't a person anymore, it was a corpse. "This is your enemy while you are here." Fantine explained. "This is one of the Inferri. Now I know what you're all thinking. This doesn't look very dangerous, does it? It's just a dead man. Well, you'd be wrong. We were lucky this one was alone, or we might have been in trouble. These things are usually in a horde and should you run into the horde, you have three options: fight, run or die. While under my command, we will try to take option two, as it has the highest survival rate. Any questions?"

"Sir?" Asked Thatch, raising a hand. "Why not fight them? You took this thing down easily."

"You seem to have missed what I said about the horde, mister Edwards." Fantine explained. "These creatures usually attack in a massive group and, while weak alone, in a group, their sheer numbers are a threat. There are two things you need to know about these creatures when fighting them. First, there's only one reliable way to kill one: destroying the brain. Decapitation won't work alone, the brain needs to be destroyed. Second, don't let them get close. One bite from one of these creatures could spell death for the victim. There's only one way to survive it, and it's not pleasant."

The students were silent at Fantine's words.

"If there are no more questions, I will continue." Fantine said. "We will stick to the trees while we're here. The horde can't move through the forest easily, so it's our best option for survival." With that, the masked professor continued onward, the hunter initiates following behind him staying silent for fear the horde might be around any corner.


	18. Chapter 15: The Abyss II

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 15**

**oxoxoxo**

In the midst of their march to the Firebase, Fantine had Team EMAD break camp. They were a short distance from the base, far enough that enemy sentries wouldn't spot them, but also close enough that they could easily make their move when they were ready. The hunters had set up three tents, one for Thatch, Francois and Ben, one for Maria and Alison and one for the professor himself. After setting up the tents, Fantine had them build a fire, but specified that it had to be kept small enough as to not let up too much light or smoke. His first reason was obvious, the light and smoke would catch the attention of the White Fang in the Firebase, and since it was getting darker, the light would be more visible. The second reason was more disturbing. If there were too much smoke, then it could attract the Inferri. Even now, the distant sounds of shuffling hordes of ghouls could be heard through the trees. Fantine warned that they got more active as night drew closer, so they should move as soon as possible, resting just long enough to be fresh for the mission.

Team EMAD and Ben sat on logs around the small fire, the young hunters having emerged from their tents and taken them down just as the moon began to rise. The four youth sat around the slowly dying fire, the light gradually fading as the canopy of trees blocked out most of the sky, though allowing small shafts of moonlight to shine down on the soon to be hunters as each one examined their weapons. Maria put a hand up to the open boss of her shield and gave the barrels within a spin. "I never imagined my first mission would be in a place like this." She said, just loudly enough for the rest of the group to hear. "Always thought I'd be charging into battle alongside my team, gunning down Grimm by the dozen as we did."

Ben looked up from slipping rounds into his sword's magazine. "Not what you expected when you turned down that military position, is it?"

The centurion chuckled lightly. "Not in the least, but it's still the right thing to do and that's what counts." She said as she closed the boss of her shield and leaned it against the log she sat on. "Hey, that reminds me, you all know my reasons for coming to Beacon, what inspired all of you to become hunters?"

The remainder of her team exchanged a glance before turning to face her. "You want to know all our reasons?" Thatch asked.

"You heard me." Maria replied, leaning forward, her face illuminated by the slowly dying fire. "Why don't you go first?" She offered, gesturing to the renegade.

"You want to know why. I'll tell you why." Thatch said, sheathing his swords. "Though I have to say, my answer might seem a tad boring to the rest of you."

"I'd still be interested." Alison said, offering the swordsman a smile.

Thatch returned it before continuing, a far off look in his eyes and a wistful, nostalgic smile on his face. "To be honest, it was for my mother. She raised me on stories of explorers of old. I swore that one day I'd see all the kingdoms, just like all of them did. Figured the best way to do that was to go to combat school and become a huntsman, that'd give me an excuse to travel as much as I wanted."

"_Juste une seconde," _Francois interrupted. "Yang said you were, how you say, an idiot at Signal academy, how did you plan to travel the kingdoms with a record like you had?"

The renegade chuckled. "I suppose you could say Yang set me straight. When I got to signal, I figured I'd half arse my way through classes, graduate on a C and buy myself a ship and get going. Then Yang got a hold of me." Thatch leaned forward and smirked. "The lesson in my story here, is never to skip out on group work. Especially when your partner is not afraid to literally hunt you down and drag you to class." That got a light chuckle out of the team, even Ben. Thatch allowed himself a quick smirk before continuing. "After that, I slowly cleaned up my act. I still want to travel now, but I think I'd like to do that with the lot of you beside me. Maybe even you Ben, once you work that stick out of your arse at least."

Alison smiled at the thought of flying away with the renegade and the rest of the team. The thought made her more than happy, and happiness was something they all needed in this place. That's when a thought occurred to her: wasn't Thatch's father an explorer? His mother had told her he was, so why didn't he mention his father? She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped herself just short of saying a word. There must have been some reason the renegade never talked about his father, maybe she should ask him in private instead.

Francois rolled his eyes at Thatch's story. "First you need a ship, _mon ami, _and those most certainly do not come cheap."

Thatch snorted. "Alright Noble Boy, what's your story?"

The nobleman frowned. "Very well. As you may have presumed, I was born to a fairly well off family. What I may not have mentioned is that my uncle was a huntsman, the one on my mother's side at least and I grew up on tales of his adventures."

"Let me guess." Thatch said. "He trained you to be a huntsman and now you're here?"

"Perhaps I should tell you what happens when you assume, _mon ami." _The nobleman replied. _"Non, _my uncle died of a heart attack when I was young, but those stories stuck with me, so when I was old enough, I requested to be taught to fight. My father was against it, but my mother managed to convince him to hire a tutor. He was one of the best men I've ever met."

"Was?" Ben asked.

"_Oui." _Francois replied. "He was killed, jailed for his part in the White Fang and then killed in prison." He said, clenching a fist. "He left the White Fang and even turned on them, but even then the prison guards did nothing as he was murdered in his cell. From that day forward I swore to never let that happen to another person, and becoming a hunter seemed like the best way to do that." With that, the marksman turned to the final original member of their group. "What about you, Alison, why did you take up arms as a huntress?"

Alison blushed slightly and kicked at rocks in embarrassment. "Well..."

"Come on, Alison," Maria encouraged, putting a hand on her partner's shoulder. "No one will judge you here." She said, giving a very pointed glare to Ben, the soldier whistling innocently as she drilled holes in him with her gaze.

"Well..." Alison said again, this time a little more confident. "I feel like my story is kind of boring, I mean, you all have your own philosophical reasons for coming out here, but me... I'm just following in my parents' footsteps. They were both hunters, so I thought it would only be right if I did the same, right?"

Maria smiled and put an arm around Alison's shoulder's, pulling her partner into a hug. "I'm glad you did. I think we all are."

Alison could only smile. Knowing that Maria broke with the tradition of her family by becoming a huntress and not a general, she knew just how much she valued making one's own decision. Even still, she had praised her for deciding to follow her family. "Thanks Maria."

Ben watched as his new teammates talked about their pasts, wishing more than anything that he could just sink into the ground. Part of his story was similar to theirs, but there was just one key difference. Their choices were willing ones.

"What about you, big man?" Thatch asked, pulling Ben out of his reverie.

"Huh?" The giant soldier sputtered. "What?"

"You heard me." The renegade replied. "What made you want to be a huntsman?"

"Oh, uh, it's in the blood, you know? Military family and whatnot."

The other team members were silent after Ben's words. "That's it?" Asked Francois.

"Yeah, that's about it. Followed my calling and it led me here." Ben insisted.

The others gave him a sceptical look, but unbeknownst to them, they weren't the only ones observing his reaction. From above, perched on a tree branch twenty feet off, two other pairs of eyes watched the students around the fire. "So these are the people who landed." One of them hissed. "Human, the lot of them." She said, eyes narrowing.

"The commander said to report back to her with our findings, Cobra." The second one replied, though her sister did notice she had gripped the handle of her axe.

"Seems like you're ready for a fight yourself, Taipan." Cobra replied, never taking her eyes off the intruders.

"I'm ready if they spot us." Taipan explained. "Anyway, we should leave before they do, after all, they outnumber us three to one with the one in the tent."

"The commander wanted to know what they're here for." Cobra said. "We can't just report back with half the information."

Micca rolled her eyes at her sister's actions. "You just want a shot at the pretty boy again, don't you?"

Wun nearly spat, only stopping herself as she knew it would attract the wrong sort of attention. That is to say any attention. "So?" She hissed.

Her older sister smirked. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you had a crush on him." Micca joked. Her sister just huffed. "Look," Taipan continued. "If we want to find out why they're here, we'll need to get closer, but we also need to stay quiet. The distance has saved us from being noticed so far, but once we get in close we'll need to stay silent."

"I'm ready when you are sister." Cobra replied, readying her wrist mounted crossbows just in case.

"Quietly now, let's move out." Micca said.

Wun nodded wordlessly.

"Why are we hiding?" Asked a third voice, this one male and cheerful.

"We don't want to be spotted. Shut up." Wun hissed.

It took the two sisters about three seconds to realize that someone else was with them. As one, the two of them turned to see a very familiar black mask.

"Hi." The Axman greeted. With a shout, he swung his axe, severing the branch they all stood on, sending all three of them crashing to the ground, all three landing in crouches in a small clearing below, readying weapons for battle.

Meanwhile, at the campsite, Team EMAD and professor Fantine shot up at the noise, each one grabbing their weapons. "What was that?" Fantine mused, emerging from his tent. "Perhaps we should investigate." He said with a smirk as he drew his rapier.

Maria nodded and beckoned her team forward. "EMAD, move out. The noise came from over here."

As Team EMAD mobilized, the Axman was engaged in combat with the two sisters. He swung his axe in a pendulum pattern at Taipan, knowing her firepower could take him out easily. He also kept nimble to avoid the occasional bolt or stab from the other sisters. "It's been too long since I've gotten a good fight out of the White Fang." The Axman quipped. "Usually they're so much easier, but you two are an actual challenge!" He said, locking weapons with Taipan. "I just have one question:" The vigilante said, glancing over at the charging Cobra, leaping aside just as the younger girl would have stabbed him. "Don't you already have a dance partner?"

"Why is everyone asking that?" Wun hissed at her sister.

"There they are!" A new voice declared. The snakes and Axman looked to see Team EMAD and Professor Fantine arriving, the students' weapons all aimed at them while the professor merely stood back with a savage grin on his face.

Cobra and Taipan backed away slowly, neither one making any sudden motions as they made their way closer to one of the larger trees in the area. "This could be a problem." Taipan whispered.

"You might have a point." Cobra replied. A couple of hunter initiates, they could deal with. One vigilante they could take easy. They might even have a chance against the professor if he was careless. However, all of them together would be a problem.

"Weapons down." Maria commanded. "All of you. That means you too, mask."

The Axman just gestured to himself as if looking for confirmation she meant him. Maria just nodded. The vigilante sighed. "Does this look like your standard issue White Fang uniform to you? Also, they attacked me! Shouldn't you be helping me?"

"I said weapons down." The centurion repeated, the boss of her shield opening to reveal the minigun within. "I won't ask a third time."

The Axman sighed and dropped his axe, the blade biting into the earth next to him. The snakes, meanwhile, turned to one another and nodded grimly. As one they turned to the assembled hunters. **"Let us go!" **They both cried, their order ripping through the minds of their enemies, making them all step back, minds ringing as the semblance of the two sisters tore at them, making them listen. Knowing it wouldn't last long against so many foes, the two sisters leapt up into the tree and ran, leaping from branch to branch as they made their way back to the base.

Fantine and Maria were the first to recover, catching one final glimpse of the fleeing sisters. "They're headed for the Firebase." Maria noted.

"Indeed." Fantine replied, nodding. "It seems you were correct."

"What about this one?" Thatch asked, guns still trained on the Axman. "He's not running with the other two."

"Ever occur to you that I might not be one of them?" The Axman said, slowly rising to his feet. The second he tried to rise, five guns and a zhua were trained on him, making him sweat slightly. "You guys mind maybe dropping those?"

Not a single student moved.

"That's what I thought..." The vigilante muttered, putting his hands behind his head.

"On the ground," Francois demanded. _"Tout suite."_

The Axman looked at the nobleman with a confused expression. "What?"

"Now!" Maria barked, raising her shield.

"Alright, alright..." The Axman said. "Not."

With that, the vigilante pulled a small, grey crystal out from under his hat and threw it on the ground, sending up a thick cloud of grey smoke. With his opponents distracted by the smoke, the Axman turned and bolted, leaping up into the lower branches of a nearby tree. He was about to climb when a rope shot out from the smoke and wrapped itself around his wrist, pulling him down to earth and into the cloud of dust he made, just as it began to clear. The vigilante turned to see it had been the caped one who pulled him back, the rope around his arm coming from his coat's sleeve. "So that's the kind of stuff you're into." The Axman remarked.

"Shut up," Maria spat, smacking the vigilante with her shield. "Or the next shot goes around your neck. Got it?"

The vigilante gulped. "Uh, got it, yeah, let's go with that."

Maria narrowed her eyes at him before beckoning Thatch forward. The renegade stepped towards the vigilante, a smirk painted on his face. As he got close, however, he was stopped by Fantine putting a hand on his shoulder. "Before you make the poor sod scream, I want all of you to be silent for a moment and listen. What do you hear?"

The students and vigilante went silent as they strained their ears to hear what the Professor was talking about. They didn't need to work hard before they heard it, the quickly approaching sound of masses of shuffling feet, twigs snapping beneath the innumerable feet, moans of pain could be heard over the shuffling, creating a cacophony of sound as the hoard drew closer. "It seems we made a little too much noise." Fantine explained, drawing his rapier and readying a throwing knife. "Remember what I said, aim for the heads, otherwise they'll just get back up."

Maria growled in frustration before slashing the rope off the Axman's arm. "Try and escape and we'll throw you to the hoard. Got it."

The vigilante nodded, getting to his feet and readying his signature axe. As he fell into formation with Team EMAD, the hoard drew closer, close enough that he could smell them. The foul stench of death and decay, rot and blood, it seemed to awaken something deep within him, a scratching in the back of his head which, despite the situation, brought a grim smile to his face. _'Get ready, here they come.' _Said the voice in his head. For once, he was more than willing to listen to it.

The first of the Inferri soon emerged from the trees, and the weapons of Team EMAD roared to life rounds from their weapons quickly tearing through the monsters, Maria's minigun and Ben's LMG doing the most damage, while pinpoint dust powered explosions from Alison sent the walking corpses flying, Thatch, Francois and the Axman cutting down any who got too close.

Maria gunned down one of the monsters with her shield, stabbing another in the skull as it got too close. "I hate these things already." She grumbled.

Ben switched his gun to its sword form and cut down an entire line of the dead. "Less talking, more killing." He said, shifting his weapon back to gun form and opening fire.

Thatch emptied the remainder of a clip into the head of an Inferri, stabbing another in the skull and kicking and third square in the nose and stomping its skull flat as it hit the ground. "As much as I love the whole 'impossible odds' thing, does anyone see a way out?"

"I'm working on it, Mister Edwards." Fantine growled, seeming to be more annoyed than anything. "Just keep them occupied."

"Not too difficult!" Francois replied, putting another round in a ghoul's head. "Just remember we don't have limitless ammunition."

"I'm working on it!" The professor shot back, growing frustrated. Team EMAD was holding back the hordes for now, but it was only a matter of time before they got closer. Someone would make a mistake. They'd run out of ammo, something would go wrong. They needed a way out of this clearing and quickly.

That was when the ground began to shake.

About once every two seconds, the earth would shake with a mighty 'boom.' A low growl from the direction of the sounds confirmed what EMAD feared: something huge was coming.

With a mighty roar, the massive creature began to speed up, the earth shaking as it charged through the forest, trees falling in its wake. Finally, the monster burst into the north side of the clearing with a bloodcurdling bellow. It was at least twelve feet tall, its skin black as night with bone white plating across its chest and arms and massive spikes emerging from its back. Each limb was as thick around as a man, and the armoured arms looked like they could break a person in two as casually as one might break a dry dead stick. The nightmarish image was completed by the blood red eyes full of hate on its face. However, the most disturbing part of the beast wasn't any of these features. No, what truly frightened the hunters was that this creature had a very familiar form. It was one of the Inferri, their curse having spread out of control, mutating the victim into the massive Grimm like being that stood before them. This thing had once been human.

They didn't have time to worry about this, however, as the massive behemoth bellowed once again and charged at them.

"Scatter!" Fantine called.

Seeing that their options were either get flattened by the creature or dive into the oncoming hordes, the students and professor took the death they could fight off easily, leaping weapons first into the ranks of the ghouls. All but one, that is. Summoning her aura and raising her shield, Maria Gaia stood her ground, the behemoth raising a massive fist to flatten her, but Maria managed to raise her shield and block the strike. The force of the blow nearly knocked Maria off her feet, but the leader of EMAD held her ground, digging her booted feet into the dirt and pushing back. The monster roared as it attempted to overpower her, but the centurion just smirked, opening the boss of her shield and letting loose a torrent of hot lead into the beast's chest. The monster roared in agony as it stumbled back, giving Maria just the opportunity she needed.

Getting a running start, Maria leapt into the air right for the monster, batting aside a massive hand as she aimed for its face. Landing shield first on the head of the creature, the force of her attack managed to knock the wounded beast onto the ground, the creature giving a loud roar of pain as it hit the ground.

The centurion removed the shield and was about to raise her sword to finish it, but then she saw its face. Time seemed to slow as she took in the features of the beast's face. It was disfigured and mutated by the curse, with fangs where teeth should have been, skin turned the colour of a midnight sky and eyes glowing blood red, but the creature she was attacking was still very clearly human. In fact, striking Maria as hard as a blow from this thing's fists was the fact that every single one of these creatures had once been human. What right did any of them have to murder them? They were just as human as they were.

Maria couldn't think on this for long, as the behemoth was still very much alive, and raised a meaty fist to flatten her. Closing her eyes, Maria raised her blade and, with a loud war cry, drove it down into the creature's eye, giving it a violent twist to make sure it was dead, the loud thud following that told her that it was, as the creature's arms fell to the ground.

Pulling her blade back as the monster began to disintegrate like all Grimm did, Maria looked around the battlefield. Her teammates were beginning to push the creatures back.

Francois stood behind Ben, the nobleman using precise shots to drop any Inferri he saw, with the massive soldier using his blade to cut down any that got too close, cutting them in half and stomping on their heads to ensure their deaths. Thatch and Alison stood back to back, the artist using dust blasts to destroy the creatures, while Thatch jammed his fingers down on the triggers of his blades, a hail of rapid fire bullets tearing through the skulls of any monster in his line of sight. Meanwhile, Fantine moved like the phantom many called him, wading through the hoards, his blade seeming to dance in the faint light of the moon, plunging his rapier and dagger into the heads of any Inferri in range.

However, the one contributing the most to the fight was the new arrival: the Axman. The vigilante was a force of nature, his axe flying about in a seemingly random pattern, though every swing of the blade was swift and would land the head of the axe directly in a ghoul's skull. The Axman turned to face her for just a brief moment, and for that half second Maria caught a glimpse of the crazed smile adorned on his face as he waded through the ranks of the undead.

To tell the truth, if anyone had asked the Axman if he knew what he was doing, the vigilante would have had to answer no. Ever since the giant ghoul crashed into the clearing, the voice in his head had given him direction, telling him just what attacks to use, how to use them and where to go to cause the most damage. He could feel wounds from when the creatures got too close, but the pain only inspired him to keep fighting. _'Good' _the voice said _'Keep going, kill them all! This is what you were born for! Their blood will make the grass grow!'_

That was all the vigilante needed to hear, his axe a whirlwind of motion now and corpses beginning to pile around him

To Maria, it looked like they might just take this battle.

But she could see between the trees, and on the south side of the clearing a massive hoard was beginning to form. They needed a way out now, lest they be devoured by the hoard. Getting desperate, Maria cast her eyes about the clearing before she came to the perfect solution. The creature she had just killed had already provided them their escape. "Everyone, run to the path the giant made!" She cried out, pointing with her blade to the path of fallen trees the behemoth had knocked over in its rampage to get here.

The other members seeing the path got the message, firing one last collective barrage into the ranks of the undead, the members of Team EMAD made their escape, Fantine using a length of rope to pull the Axman out with them. As her teammates ran past, Maria stopped Alison in her tracks. She looked the artist dead in the eye. "They can't follow, understand?"

Alison nodded silently and turned to the south side of the clearing. In one swift motion she fired a blast of flame from the claw of her zhua, the blast igniting the trees on the other side of the clearing, burning through the ranks of the dead. As the flames grew brighter and hotter, Alison switched the dust in her zhua, spun it above her head and plunged it into the ground, a wall of earth rising from the ground to cut them off from their enemies.

Maria nodded grimly. "Let's go, the others will be waiting."

Alison nodded and the two followed the path of fallen trees after their companions.

oxoxoxo

After what felt like over an hour of walking in complete silence, the team came to a halt at the mouth of a cave. The students each found a wall to lean against, along with the Axman who nearly collapsed against his wall, letting out a heavy sigh. "Well," He said "That was fun."

Thatch took of his hat and fanned himself with it. "So, fearless leader, was that more of what you expected for your first mission?" He asked, smirking in spite of the situation.

Maria panted as she replied. "This is a bit closer to what I expected, yes." She said, looking over the front of her shield where the behemoth had hit her. As usual, the surface of the shield remained undamaged aside from scratched paint. Her arm beneath it... She could feel her aura healing her, but it was going to sting.

"Are you okay?" Alison asked, approaching her leader.

"Just a bit bruised, that thing hit hard." The centurion replied. "I don't suppose you can spare a little frost dust, can you?" The artist nodded and reached into her robe, producing a small, white translucent crystal. Maria took the crystal and held it over her left arm, allowing the chill the crystal produced to aid in her recovery.

"Professor Fantine, sir." Ben piped up, standing at attention.

"At ease, Mister Aparte." Fantine replied, the soldier's stance relaxing somewhat. "What is it?"

"What was that thing?" Ben asked. "When Erwin told me he wanted me for the mission here, he never mentioned anything like that thing."

"I don't know." Fantine replied, staring back in the direction they came from. "I was marooned here and in my entire stay, I never saw anything like that."

"Yeah, those things are pretty new here, old timer." Said a new voice. The group turned as one in the direction of the speaker. He stood just shorter than Fantine with long, wild black hair running down the back of his head to his mid back now, the beard and moustache on his face were crudely cut, and they framed a crazed grin topped with a pair of red eyes, the crimson orbs holding no warmth, only madness. He was dressed in a blood red robe with plated chainmail underneath. The hunters were sure his robe had once been a fine piece of clothing, but time and countless battles left their marks and the garment was now covered in claw marks and what looked like bullet holes, the chainmail being broken in some areas, likely where this man had taken injuries. Completing the image of the madman was the weapon held over his shoulder, a lengthy staff topped with an axe head and spike, a halberd. "It's not too often I get company around here, let alone company that can take down a Behemoth. That's what those things are called, by the way, Behemoths."

"Who named them that?" Asked Maria. "And more importantly, who on Remnant are you?"

The man with the halberd looked confused for a moment, as though trying to remember his own name. "I named it of course, I was the first one to run into one of those things, missy." He said, placing a hand on his chest in seeming pride. "And as for my name,"

"Vlad Paler." Ben said, stepping forward. "Supposedly killed in the attack on Vale's army here. I can only wonder how you survived this long, Vlad."

"Is that..." Vlad muttered, stepping closer to the giant soldier, the smell of blood on him growing more pungent with every step. "Benny Boy?" The madman's eyes widened and he grabbed the soldier in a bear hug, lifting the massive boy off the ground. "It is you! Oh, it's great to see someone from the good ol' days here. Been awful lonely here with just the dead for the last few months. Of course, there's those animals in the old Firebase, but you can't really talk to them when you're killing them, you know?"

"Wait a minute," Maria piped up. "You knew the White Fang were in the Firebase, but you didn't try to do anything about it?"

Vlad unceremoniously dropped Ben before moving to stare down Maria. "Who's this one, Benny Boy? Your girlfriend? Not bad at all, she is..."

"She is his leader." Maria said, cutting off the mad general. "And she'd like to know why a general didn't go after the biggest threat on this island."

"Girly, you have no idea just what's on this island, do you?" Vlad asked. "Oh wait, yeah you do, you just spent some quality time with them. Anyway, yeah, they're the biggest threat on this island and I've been trying to put a decent sized dent in the population for a while now. Trouble is, the horde is massive, so that's been a bit of a tall order in just a few months. And about why I haven't gone after the animals, there are a lot of them too. And they have guns. I might be crazy, but I'm not an idiot, you know."

"Well, Mister Paler," Fantine said, using the same tone he would use to speak to one of his students "The White Fang know we're here now, so there's little point in hiding, and the knowledge that there are more people here will likely make them speed up their plans here, whatever those are." The phantom explained. He turned to face the entire group. "Team EMAD, you came here with me to investigate the enemy's activities here, and while we don't know exactly what they're doing, we now know where it is. That said, whatever they're doing here, we know it can't be good, and now that they know we're here, not only will they accelerate their plans, but they'll more than likely come looking for us."

Maria took a moment to wipe the dead Behemoth's blood off her sword before sheathing it. Fantine was right, if the White Fang knew they were here, they'd be sending out troops to track them down. They'd want them brought in for either capture or execution. Right now, that wasn't an option.

"Whatever their plans are on this island, they can't be good." Maria said, looking at the shape of the Firebase in the distance. Her eyes narrowed before she continued. "And I might just have a plan to stop them."


	19. Chapter 16: Escape

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 16**

**oxoxoxo**

Caroline Leon paced her office, her rifle leaning against her desk. She growled under her breath in frustration as she paced the room. Micca and Wun had reported back to her about twenty minutes ago, reporting that there were seven intruders on the island, and considering that Blanch's men didn't obey her, she was forced to send her own men into those darkened trees to track down their uninvited guest. However, considering what she had found out from reading the reports on the Abyss, perhaps her men might actually be safer out there. After all, they weren't locked in here with a dead man.

Reading the reports Wun had stolen, the lioness had found out something rather disturbing: Derek Blanch was dead. The report gave a disturbing amount of detail to the fact that Blanch had been killed, dragged screaming into a horde of ghouls. On one hand, this Fantine guy who wrote the report was possibly deranged, and on the other, the man who had been giving her orders for the past week was either an imposter or a dead man walking.

The stress only continued to build as she worried for the safety of the rest of her men, both the ones out searching the forest and the ones locked in here with Blanch.

So caught up in her thoughts was she that when the door to her office opened she nearly fell over in mid step. "What is it?" She demanded. "Have they been found?"

The Carolean at the door snapped off a salute. "Yes ma'am, a unit of our soldiers is at the gates with one of the intruders."

Caroline nodded, pulling out her scroll and typing out a message. She replaced the scroll in her coat pocket and turned to her soldier. "Good, take me to them." She ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" The soldier said with another salute. He stepped out of the office, Caroline falling in step behind him.

"You said they managed to capture one of the intruders," the commander began. "What happened to the other ones?"

"We're not sure yet." The soldier replied as they made their way through the base. "When they got here the prisoner demanded to speak to you, personally, some kind of noble, apparently."

"A noble?" Caroline commented. "Wun will certainly be pleased." She said, remembering the description Wun gave of the boy she had duelled at the docks of Vale.

"What will I be pleased about?" Wun asked, falling into step next to her commander.

"Right on schedule, Wun." Caroline commended. "Is your sister still down at the airstrip watching over the mercenaries?"

"I pride myself on my promptness. And yes, Micca is down at the airstrip watching those... humans" Wun said with a nod. "Now, why did you call me and why will I be pleased?"

"We captured one of the intruders." Caroline said as they followed the Carolean. "Your crush."

Wun kicked at the ground and grumbled to herself. "You're just as bad as Micca..."

"Enough chatter, we're here." Caroline said as the front door to the base opened before her, seven White Fang operatives entering the Firebase, a badly beaten blonde boy being shoved in ahead of them by one of the members, a man with a pair of swords. The nobleman looked up at his captors and spat in the face of the one who pushed him in, snarling as he did. The captor responded with a pommel strike that sent the huntsman sprawling to the floor. Caroline looked the prisoner over. While she was sure he had once been a handsome young man, it was clear that his pretty face would need some time to recover. One of his eyes was now blackened and at least one tooth had been knocked out by repeated blows to the face, there was a cut running down his left cheek, and a steady but slow trickle of blood was coming from his nose. Then there were his clothes, the blue tabard he wore was likely once a thing of beauty, though it now bore countless scars and cuts and the hat perched on his head looked like it had been stomped on during the fight before being placed back on his head. "Well, well, well." The commander said, hauling the nobleman back up to his knees, taking his head in her hand. "Look what the pack found."

The nobleman snarled some very choice French curses as he roughly jerked his head out of her hands.

"Charming." Caroline replied, turning to Wun. "You think you can get a few answers out of him?"

"With pleasure." The Cobra said, stepping forward and looking the nobleman in the eye. "Where are the rest of your friends?"

Francois glared up into her eyes, his blue orbs glowing gold around the edges. With another snarled curse in French he spat a glob of blood in her face.

"I forgot he can block me out with his semblance." Wun muttered. "No matter, I think I know how to break him. Mind if I borrow this one, commander?"

Caroline stepped back and gestured further into the base. "He's all yours. I'll have the others warm up the interrogation chambers." Wun smirked and snapped off a salute. Her commander returned it. "When you're done with him, come to my office. There's something we need to discuss." She said, her tone growing darker as she spoke.

Wun nodded before turning to the operatives who brought the nobleman in. "Get him on his feet and follow me."

The operative who threw the noble to the ground sheathed one of his swords before roughly hauling the noble to his feet. "Daddy's money can't save you now, pretty boy." He hissed.

"_Enfoire!" _The huntsman spat back, spitting in his face again.

The terrorist smirked cruelly. "The Cobra's gonna enjoy breaking you."

"Get him on his feet." Wun ordered. "We'll be having a chat in my office."

The nobleman glared at every faunus in range as he got to his feet, Wun leading the way into the Firebase as the White Fang squad escorted the new prisoner. The Cobra led them deeper into the base before turning to face her new captive. "So, let's try and make this a little easier, maybe not make a mess of that pretty face of yours. Where are the rest of your teammates?"

Francois gave a broken smile. "Right now, plotting your demise from a safe distance."

"While leaving you behind, of course." Wun replied, turning to lead the way again. "No matter, you'll tell us sooner or later."

Francois cast his eyes about the hallway they were in. It was a long, featureless hallway, the walls shining white as they made their way through, leading to what he could only assume was where the commanders of the old fort would lead prisoners they wanted a 'chat' with. Needless to say, few people wanted to be down here, and the lengthy, featureless hallway with a low ceiling that led down to the interrogation chambers really showed that. By the fact that they hadn't gone down any stairs, Francois could guess they were still on the first floor, making him guess that the prisoners' quarters were towards the middle of the base, making escape much less likely.

However, one thing that caught Francois' eyes was the fact that this seemed to carry over to the base's current owners: there were very few soldiers around. The nobleman turned to the terrorist that had dragged him in. "Did you have to hit me so hard?"

"Quit your wining, Noble Boy." The extremist replied, an accent revealed in his speech. "We're here, aren't we?"

Wun, understandably confused, turned to face the two of them. "What are you two on about?"

"It's simple, really:" Said one of the soldiers, stepping forward, an icy blue glow coming from behind his mask. Before Wun's eyes, the air around the soldiers and their captive began to shimmer and shift. Her eyes widened as the nobleman's wounds sealed and worse, the soldiers who brought him in shimmered and changed shape, each one becoming an enemy, four of them his teammates, one the lunatic who fought her sister in Vale, one the professor who she ran into at Beacon, and the final one a wild haired man with a halberd who she didn't recognize. The professor stepped forward and gave a wicked smirk. "We tricked you."

"What? How? Explain yourselves!" the snake demanded, her wrist crossbows aiming at each one in turn.

"Illusion." The professor explained, speaking as though he were talking to a simpleton. "It's my semblance. Now, why don't you make this easy on us all and drop your weapons, we'll let you go if you do."

Wun grit her teeth. "Not on your life." She hissed, hitting a button on one of her crossbows. "Intruder alert! Intruders!"

Within seconds, sirens were blaring, the sounds of running feet were heard across the base. "Well," Vlad said, stepping forward, halberd in hand. "I thought we might have to do this the hard way."

"Stay back." Francois warned, drawing his blade, eyes glowing gold. "She can be rather persuasive. I can resist her, the rest of you run, I'll handle her."

Thatch stepped forward to meet his partner. "Just remember who's back in Vale waiting for you, Noble Boy."

"I will." He said, nodding grimly. "Now run."

Thatch nodded and Team EMAD and their allies took off. They had plans to derail and an escape to find.

oxoxoxo

Caroline sat in her office, reading over the Abyss reports Wun had stolen when the alarms began to go off and Wun's intruder alert went out over the PA. The lioness growled and rose to her feet, producing her scroll and linking it to the PA system. "All units, make for Wun's last location and capture the intruders, lethal force is authorized, I repeat, lethal force is authorized."

As the commander finished giving her orders, a new call came on over her scroll. "What!?" she demanded.

"_Hey there kitty, it's me." _Torchwick said, though she could hear the frustration in his voice.

"Torchwick, what are you doing?" The commander demanded.

"_Change of plans, big kitty, the plan is going ahead right now, get your end in gear and let's go."_

"WHAT?! What are you talking about?"

"_Mountain Glenn has a few uninvited guests, and they might have found my little hideout." _Torchwick admitted, something exploding in the background of the call. _"We've had to move things ahead, you understand right?"_

"My base is under attack and you want me to advance the plans?" Caroline asked, incredulous.

"_If you could just do that, that'd be great. Gotta go, got some ass to kick."_

With that, the line went dead, and another call came through. "What do you want?"

"_Miss Leon," _Came the voice of Derek Blanch. _"I understand we have some intruders?"_

"We'll handle them." Caroline growled.

"_Perhaps you can, but I believe Mister Torchwick is correct, we need to proceed with the plans. My men will finish loading the dustplanes, yours will fly them, understand?"_

"Not a chance, my men are fighting off the intruders under my command, get yours to fly the planes." Caroline shot back. There was more than that to her unwillingness to allow Derek to order her men about, like the fact that he was a corpse, but one thing would be dealt with at a time. Deciding not to let Derek have the last word, Caroline shut off the line, making a call herself before grabbing her rifle. "Micca, it's Caroline, keep an eye on the airfield, Derek's kicking the plan into early action."

"_What do you want me to do?" _Micca asked.

"For now, keep an eye on the mercenaries." Caroline ordered. "I'm taking a squad to deal with the intruders."

Micca gave a quick salute over the call. _"Yes ma'am!"_

As the call ended, Caroline loaded a fresh clip into _Shining Roar _and walked out of her office, eight Caroleans were waiting for her outside. "Alright men, we've got our targets. With the mercs out on the airfield, anything not in White Fang attire is a target. Lock and load, men."

The soldiers presented their arms and cocked the rifles as one. A quick flash from Caroline's eyes and the men's expressions turned stone cold.

"We fire as one, we march as one, we fight as one, we die as one." Caroline declad.

"We are the Caroleans." Her soldiers replied as one. The commander nodded and led the men down the path Wun had taken. The intruders were as good as caught.

oxoxoxo

Derek shook his head as Caroline ended the call with him. He turned to Bartholomew, the hooded mercenary rising from the seat he had taken. "That girl is very impulsive, isn't she?"

"Indeed she is." Bartholomew replied, a cruel grin visible under his hood. "You want me to go with her?"

"No, I have a very specific job for you, my friend." Blanch replied. "Head out to the airfield and watch over the men. As strong as our commander is, some of the intruders are bound to make it past her. Be ready to meet them outside when they do."

Bartholomew's grin grew ever wider as he began to pick up his weapons, sheathing his scimitar at his belt and placing his twin hand axes in on either side of his hips. "You seem awfully calm about all this." He noted as he prepared for battle. "What happened to all that stress? You find a nice lady as creepy as you are?"

Derek merely smiled, a hint of madness hidden in his eyes. "This has given me an excuse to go over the head of our host and push my plans into action. Of course I'm enjoying this."

"Don't get too happy about it," Bartholomew warned, strapping his LMG to his back. "Save some for when I bring you some hunter heads."

"I'm not paying you extra for theatrics." Blanch said with a chuckle.

"Then forget the heads. You're no fun." The mercenary grumbled as he walked out of the room.

As the door closed behind him, Blanch's smirk only grew. "Don't you worry, there will be plenty of fun for me later."

oxoxoxo

The hunters, having left Francois to deal with Wun, ran around a corner in the hallway, only to come face to face with Caroline's firing line.

As the faunus raised their weapons to fire, Thatch gave the command on all their minds: "Retreat!"

None of them needed to be told twice, all of them fleeing back around the corner, just barely dodging the onslaught of semi auto fire that slammed into the wall that had just been behind them.

From behind the wall, they could hear the sound of approaching footsteps, the Caroleans were growing closer. "Well," Vlad shouted, struggling to be heard over the sound of gunfire. "Anyone have any bright ideas?"

"Just one," Fantine answered. "The two of us will hold her attention, the rest of you run."

"Not a chance." Maria replied. "I've already left one teammate behind, I'm not letting the two of you fight an entire firing line while we run."

"I'm not asking." Fantine declared. "I'm ordering you as your professor and the leader of this mission. Now go."

"And what are we supposed to do?" Vlad demanded.

Fantine grinned. "First, we break their lines. Remind me, what does your semblance do, Mister Paler?"

Vlad's face soon bore a grin as evil as that of the phantom as his idea wormed its way into his mind. "I like the way you think."

Meanwhile, around the corner, Caroline and her men were drawing ever closer, rifles raised and fingers on the triggers. Their concentration was shattered, however, as Vlad tore around the corner, halberd raised and eyes a deep shade of red as he screamed bloody murder, the sound tearing through their minds.

However, the emotionally repressed Caroleans were unable to feel the fear one would feel when confronted with this berserker rage. Caroline and her men raised their weapons. "Open fire." The lioness ordered.

The rifles roared to life, but Vlad seemed to ignore any round that struck him, even the powerful rounds of Caroline's rifle doing little more than making him stumble. As he drew closer, the mad former general brought his halberd back for a wide swing. Caroline, seeing the strike coming, gave her men another order: "Scatter."

The Caroleans leapt back, though the second they did, Vlad flew into a rage, his wild black hair and beard flying about as he swung his halberd in seemingly random directions, firing off blasts of buckshot as he did. "If you're gonna move," He yelled "Now would be a great time!"

Before Caroline could demand an explanation, Maria, Alison, Thatch and Ben charged from around the corner, the soldier, centurion and renegade sprating full auto fire as they charged, forcing Caroline and her men back as they broke their lines.

"Stop them!" Caroline ordered. She raised her rifle to fire on the students, but a rope wrapped itself around her neck, throwing off her aim as she fired, a high calibre round soaring over Maria's helmeted head as she rounded another corner at the end of the hallway. A swing of Caroline's rifle's bayonet severed the rope as she turned to face her attacker.

"Now, now." Fantine chided. "It's rather rude to turn your back on a pair of perfectly willing opponents to chase children."

"And how willing we are." Vlad declared, standing back to back with the professor as the blue coated faunus closed in on them. "You all look different form the other faunus I've killed here. I wonder if you'll scream like they did."

Caroline's eyes narrowed as she and her men aimed down the sights of their rifles at the two men who faced them. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.

"Oh, I'm sure by now you've run into those poor sods who were impaled on stakes?" Vlad said, a sense of pride in his work. "That was me, all me."

Caroline glanced over all the soldiers she had brought with her. "The lot of you, take the masked one." She said, flicking a switch on her weapon. _Shining Roar _split horizontally down the middle, the massive carbine unfolding to become a full sized cavalry lance, the bayonet forming the head of the weapon while the barrel of the rifle became the butt of the spear. "The psycho is mine."

"Alright," Vlad taunted, levelling his halberd at the commander with an insane grin plastered on his face, wild black hair hanging over his eyes. "I'm all yours."

oxoxoxo

Wun and Francois stared each other down, both training their weapon on the other, Francois' carbine and Wun's crossbows. Neither one seemed to want to make the first move. "You know," Francois said, never taking his eyes off his opponent. "If we keep meeting like this, people will talk."

Wun scoffed. "In your dreams, pretty boy."

"Perhaps in yours, since I already have _une petite amoure _at home." Francois said.

Wun narrowed her eyes. "I'll be sure to send her your corpse." She spat, firing off one of her crossbows.

Francois leapt to the side, the bolt sticking in the wall. Upon landing, the nobleman opened fire, the snake dodging each shot he took as she closed in on him, her blades emerging for a fight up close. As she leapt at him, the nobleman jumped back from her strike, stabbing out with his bayonet and forcing her back. As Wun leapt back from the stab, Francois shifted the form of his weapon, the sword revealed from the heart of his rifle. The second the blade was revealed, the noble went on the offensive, making a series of quick stabs that forced Wun into a retreat, only able to block his strikes as the nobleman slowly forced her back.

However, this snake wasn't out of tricks yet.

Leaping back from a stab by the nobleman, Wun fired off her other crossbow, aiming for the noble's head. Francois jumped out of the way of the projectile, the distraction, giving Wun time to spit a glob of venom at the noble's face, Francois pulling his hat down to cover his face and block the venom from his eyes. However, this left him open for an attack as Wun surged ahead and kicked him in the head before he could regain his bearings. The nobleman fell to the floor with a cry of pain, the world spinning in his eyes as Cobra closed in for the kill.

Francois managed to make the world stop spinning, just in time to see Wun leaping for him, blades out. Eyes widening, he rolled out of the way of her strike, Wun's blades hitting the floor where his head and chest were less than a second before. Scrambling to his feet, Francois just managed to block a series of quick strikes by Wun's blades, managing to parry each one with his rapier, but only just so as the snake pushed ever closer.

oxoxoxo

The remains of Team EMAD along with the Axman quietly crept out of the base and onto the airfield, taking cover behind a large pile of wooden crates. "Maria," Alison whispered. "Are you sure their plan involves the airfield?"

"No idea." Maria replied. "But if we're going to get off this island, those airships seem like the best way off. Thatch, you know more about these things than the rest of us, which one would get us back to Vale the quickest?"

The renegade peered across the lit up sections of the airstrip. A massive area next to the firebase had been cleared out and fenced off, likely during the war and was used for airship storage. Several ships rested in the cleared section and of these ships, most were were massive dustplanes, and looking at each one, he could see several men moving enormous containers into their cargo holds, each box the size of a bullhead, engines included. "Who are those guys?" He mused.

"We can worry about them later." Ben said, casting his eyes about the darkened airstrip. "We need a way out of here and quickly.

"Ben's got a point," Maria admitted. "We need a way out of here and we won't find one while you're looking at those guys." The centurion ordered. "That said, I would like to know what they're up to. Alison, you've got better eyes than the rest of us, have a look, see what you can see."

The artist nodded and focused her gaze on the men working the ships. Her first reaction was one of confusion. "They're not White Fang." She said. "They're... human?"

"Human?" Maria repeated.

"Their uniforms don't match the White Fang's and I can't see any animal features on any of them." Alison explained. "Mercenaries, maybe, but definitely not the White Fang's regulars."

"Can you tell what they're doing?" Asked the Axman, clutching his axe as he watched for anyone getting too close.

Alison shook her head. "I don't see any markers on those crates, they might just be retreating or taking what isn't nailed down."

"Doesn't matter right now." Thatch interrupted. "I found our way out." He said, pointing towards a solitary ship. It was the size of a large house and slightly birdlike in appearance, the cockpit extending outward from the ship on what looked like a neck while a large turbine style engine stuck out from both sides. The rear of the ship was dominated by what looked like a third engine. Other than that, the ship was nothing special to look at, the hull looking rugged and worn out, as though it were ancient. "I know it don't look like much, but trust me, that one is what we want."

"What the hell is that junk pile?" Ben demanded, resisting the urge to smack the swordsman upside the head. "That thing looks like it won't survive takeoff!" He hissed.

"Watch your mouth, big man, that thing is a classic." Thatch shot back. "It's a Vale ship, it's called a _Serenity. _It's reliable, powerful, and most importantly, fast. You see those engines? That'll get us back to Vale before you know it."

Maria looked from the ship to her teammate and frowned. "You're sure you can get us out of here on that thing?" Maria asked. "Ben was right about one thing, it doesn't look too stable."

"Get me behind the wheel." Thatch replied. "I can get us back to Vale before they get off the ground."

"Leaving, so soon?" Asked a new voice. Team EMAD and the Axman turned as one to see a tall man in a black, hooded coat, a pair of hand axes and a scimitar sheathed at his belt and a light machine gun in his hands aimed at them. "How rude."

"Duck and cover!" Maria ordered.

The order came not a moment too soon as Bartholomew jammed his finger down on the trigger, his gun spewing lead at the hunters as they scattered. "Come on, you lot!" Bartholomew yelled. "You want that ship, you can take it from my cold, dead hands!"

As the mercenary taunted the team, a blast of lightning flew from behind a crate and slammed into his gun, knocking the firearm out of his hands. The hooded mercenary chuckled. "Well well well, seems there's one of you with a stomach."

Before anyone else could speak, Thatch leapt off the pile of crates, slamming his boot right into the mercenary's jaw and sending him stumbling back. "You'll find we all do." The renegade said, drawing both his swords. "Maria, take the rest of the team and fire up the _Serenity, _I'll handle this one until you're done."

"I don't think so." Alison said, stepping forward, the blade of her jian still sparking with electricity. "Maria, take Ben and the Axman and start up the ship, I'm staying with Thatch."

Maria nodded. "Let's go, team, they've definitely heard us at this point."

With a collective nod, Ben and the Axman fell in step behind the centurion as they all broke into a run for the _Serenity, _Thatch and Alison staring down the mercenary as he drew his sword and one of his two axes. "Alright you two." He said, smirking under his hood. "Let's see what you can do."

oxoxoxo

Vlad and Caroline circled one another, training their weapons on one another, Vlad chuckling insanely under his breath while Caroline merely stared emotionlessly from behind her mask as the mimicked the steps of the madman. This was the man who had killed her soldiers, who turned them into his own sick trophies. The thought motivated her to fight, but it did not anger her, as her fury was restrained by her abilities.

As the former general and the commander prepared for their fight, the eight Caroleans who accompanied her began to close in on Fantine, the masked professor remaining motionless as the armed terrorists closed in on him, rifles trained on his vitals. Aside from the footsteps and the insane chuckles of Vlad, the room was eerily quiet. Cautiously, the Caroleans moved closer to Fantine, the professor still not moving. In fact, he shut his eyes with a slight smirk.

The two lead Caroleans locked eyes before nodded, as one, they raised their weapons. Just before their fingers hit the triggers, Fantine's eyes opened, his unmasked eye glowing electric blue as a mental push plunged the room into darkness.

"Open fire!" The lead Carolean ordered. The eight men all raised their guns and slammed down on the triggers, spraying a storm of metal into the shadows. However, when the gunfire ceased and the shadows lifted, Fantine was gone. "Where did he go?" Demanded the leader. He turned to face his eight followers. "He couldn't have escaped, we had him cornered.

He only realized too late that he had one man too many. One of his men shimmered and shifted into Fantine, the phantom charging forward and wrapping a noose from his right sleeve around the neck of one of the soldiers, using him as a shield, he fired another noose from his other sleeve , strangling another man. When the soldiers drew blades and charged, he set the two men free, each one falling to the ground, gasping for breath before the phantom gave each one a hard kick in the head, knocking them out cold. As two of the soldiers drew closer, Fantine draw his rapier from his belt and a dagger from his coat, using it to block one man's sword while using his rapier to disarm the second, a pommel strike to the head knocking the poor man unconscious.

The second Fantine and the Caroleans launched into battle, Vlad fired the first shots against Caroline, his halberd/shotgun firing a blast of buckshot at the commander who ducked out of the way before stabbing at the madman with her spear, Vlad blocking the shot with the shaft of his halberd before moving in and slashing at her with its axe head. Caroline managed to block the blow, kneeing the lunatic in the groin and doubling him over in pain before slamming the shaft of her lance into his head, knocking him to the ground. A savage kick to the ribs sent Vlad sprawling as he tried to rise. With the madman on his knees, Caroline levelled the head of her lance at his head. "How many of my men did you kill?" She asked, her voice cold.

Vlad could only chuckle in response. "Maybe a dozen or two." He said, slowly rising off the ground. "Had to be careful not to leave too much meat lying around, it attracts the Inferri, don't you know."

Caroline didn't even snarl as she gave the madman another kick, harder this time, knocking him onto his back. Without blinking, the lioness planted her boot on his neck and shifted _Shining Roar _back into its rifle form, levelling the bayonet against Vlad's throat and the barrel against his head. "If I can't get a real answer, I don't need one. I just need to know my men have their justice."

Faster than the eye could track, Vlad surged to life, eyes glowing with power. He grabbed the barrel of Caroline's rifle and threw it out of his face before jamming the spike of his halberd into her leg. Caroline roared in pain as she stumbled back, Vlad rising to his feet, the mad smile that once marred his face replaced by a furious sneer. "You want to talk about justice?" He asked, slamming his halberd's head down at Caroline, the lion just managing to block it. "Let's talk about justice. Let's talk about the entire army you disgusting faunus massacred here!" He roared, stabbing at Caroline's guts, only for her to dodge. "Where's their justice? Where's the justice for the families who will never get their children back? Where's the justice for the men you doomed to death at the hands of the Inferri? I was sent out here with my best friend and an army of one thousand men to kill these undead bastards, and you faunus killed every last one of them!"

"What are you blathering about?" Caroline demanded, blocking the enraged attacks Vlad threw at her. "We've only been here for a few weeks?"

"You lying bitch!" Vlad screamed. "You killed them all! You killed Erwin! You killed our men! You killed thousands more by letting these monsters live! Where is your justice now? He's right here!" Vlad roared, slamming the shaft of his halberd into Caroline's head.

The lioness stumbled back, her tricorne hat knocked off her head. Her leg burned where Vlad had stabbed her, and though her aura was beginning to heal her, it would take careful fighting to survive this fight. Even worse, it looked like her opponent hadn't taken a single wound the entire fight, in spite of how many times he had been hit.

oxoxoxo

Francois kicked out at Wun, sending the snake girl stumbling back a few feet before pointing his sword at her. The two of them had been locked in combat ever since they began, and both were now panting with exertion, both mental and physical, as each one attempted to deduce their opponent's moves before they could even be made. "Why do this?" Asked Francois. "I don't know what you're doing here, but meddling with forces as dangerous as these creatures will not bring the faunus any closer to equality."

"I trust in the commander." Cobra answered simply. "She knows what she's doing."

"Does she really?" the nobleman asked. "Does she know what this place is? What those creatures are?"

"She knows enough, I ensured that."

Francois only growled as he raised his blade again, both combatants glaring into the eyes of the other. A silence fell over the hall, as once again, neither one seemed to want to strike first.

That was when the silence was broken by Francois' scroll, the communicator ringing to signal he had been sent a message.

That set it off, Wun lunged forward, blades raised for the kill. Francois parried one strike, the other impacting his armour, the block giving him enough time to shove his foe away and roll to the side. Reaching into his pocket, the nobleman produced a bright red dust crystal. If what the Axman said was true, this should do just enough to get him out of here. Shifting _Mademoiselle _ to rifle form, Francois hurled the crystal at the ceiling, firing a single shot it at as the gem reached the apex of his throw.

The explosion that followed hurled both combatants about like ragdolls and ripped open a hole in the ceiling large enough to fit a Beowolf through. When Francois rose to his feet, he thanked any deity he could think of that he threw the stone hard enough since had it been any closer it could have killed him. He really needed to have a chat with the Axman about this later, but for now he needed to escape. Making a running jump, Francois leapt up through the hole in the ceiling, escaping onto the next floor, a floor that thankfully had windows.

He was about to shoot out one of the windows and run for it when a bolt flew past his head and embedded itself in the wall. "You're not getting away that easily." Cobra declared as she clambered up through the hole in the floor. "Now, where were we?"

oxoxoxo

Alison stabbed at the hooded mercenary with her blade, but the man managed to dodge, firing the shotgun hidden in his hand axe at Thatch, the renegade's aura absorbing the shot, but throwing him back as he tried to attack with his blades. The man then swung his scimitar at Alison, the blade whistling through the air and forcing her onto the defensive. "So this is what Vale has to offer for hunters these days, is it?" He asked as he swept Alison's legs out from under her. "I'm not impressed."

"Then how's this?" Thatch demanded, firing the SMGs in his swords at the mercenary. Bartholomew took the sting of many shots, but soon dove to the side and returned fire with the machine pistol in his own blade, Thatch ducking and dodging to avoid the shots. The confusion allowed Alison to rise to her feet and fire another bolt of lightning from her sword at the mercenary, the man barely rolling out of the way in time and just managing to get back on the defensive as Thatch struck at him with a flurry of slashes, Alison soon joining him, using her blade to stab at their opponent and forcing him into a full on retreat.

"Not bad." The hooded mercenary said as he blocked their strikes. "However, I think I prefer a one on one fight, if you don't mind." With that, Bartholomew leapt back and threw a glare at Alison, a red glow coming from under his hood as he did. Suddenly, the artist stopped moving, her eyes going wide as she stood stock still, staring vacantly into the distance. "Now, young man, where were we?"

Thatch snarled as he attacked again, opening fire with his swords, but Bartholomew dodged around his fire and was soon right in the renegade's face, hacking and slashing away with his sword and axe. "Having fun yet?" the mercenary asked, a cruel smile visible under his hood.

"I don't know, are you?" Thatch asked, pouring some of his semblance into a strike, sending a wave of dread out with the slash. Though the attack was blocked, the fear stopped Bartholomew in his tracks, sending a shiver up his spine. He was broken out of his shock when Thatch hooked him in the face with the hilt of his cutlass and kicked him in the chest.

Bartholomew stumbled back before standing tall and smirking at the renegade again. "Impressive, you can use fear too." A wave of pure terror burst forth from the mercenary and slammed into Thatch. He could feel the temperature plunge several degrees the second he was hit, several unwilling shudders wracking his form as the airfield was plunged into shadow. Bartholomew's chuckles could be heard every so often, but there was no sign of the mercenary anywhere. The air around him was pitch dark, it felt thick and he could feel it shifting around him as his heart rate quickened.

"Where are you?" Thatch growled.

"Here." Whispered a voice behind him.

In a split second, Thatch spun around, blades out, but only cut through a shadow of his opponent, his remains dissipating as he fell apart.

"Good try." Whispered the same voice from somewhere in the shadows around him. "But we both know you don't really fear me." He could hear footsteps approaching from behind him. It was when he spun around to face the steps that he saw what was approaching. Bartholomew slowly walked towards him, sword at the ready. "So, what is it exactly that you fear? I know you're seeing it, the look in your eyes says it all, but I can't see it. Why don't you tell me?"

If only it were that simple. Thatch wracked his brain for any clue as to what he was seeing, but nothing came up. This made no sense. He was supposed to be the one to make others fear, he was fear, he made his enemies shudder and scream in terror by looking at them. Why was he so scared right now?

It suddenly dawned on him. That was it, his fear was literally fear itself. The very idea of his own nightmare was a nightmare to him.

Alison managed to shake herself out of her fear just in time to see Bartholomew advancing on Thatch. Gripping her sword tightly, she moved to advance, only to hit what could only be described as a physical barrier of dread. She wanted to move forward, to help him, but she couldn't will her body to move forward. As she tried to move, visions filled her mind of just what could happen if she made just the slightest mistake. She would trip as she moved to fight the mercenary and stab Thatch through the throat herself. She would fire lightning from her sword, but miss and hit Thatch. No matter what she tried, Thatch died.

Then again, if she didn't save him, Bartholomew would kill him. She could see the mercenary raising his blade, ready to end it all. This was one moment where she could not afford to miss, but the fear of missing her target and hitting Thatch was just unbearable to her. He was her friend, her teammate, and after the dance, even more than that, but the thought that she might miss her target and hit him...

Alison's eyes widened as she spoke three words in the quietest whisper possible, though to her it may as well have been a scream: "I never miss..."

Thatch looked up with wide eyes as Bartholomew raised his blade to end it all. "I must say, I did have fun at some points, but all good things must come to an end." Bartholomew said, his voice seeming to echo through the shadows around him. "Don't worry, I'll send your friend up to see you when I'm done with you."

The mercenary raised his blade to finish the renegade off, but before he could swing, a bolt of lightning slammed into him and blew him into one of the many crates that surrounded the fight.

Thatch shook his head and threw his gaze in the direction of the lightning. Alison stood there, sword pointed and sparks still dancing along the blade. The renegade could only shake his head as he looked towards her. "You just became so much more attractive in my eyes."

oxoxoxo

The second Maria managed to open the hatch to the _Serenity, _she knew this seemed too easy.

She, Ben and the Axman had managed to arrive at the ship with little difficulty, the mercenaries retreating under her and Ben's combined fire, and upon arriving they managed to find the exterior door controls with relative ease, opening the entrance beneath the cockpit. It was when the door opened that she realized just why it was so easy. Standing in the doorway, axe drawn, was the White Fang assassin Taipan. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you take this ship."

"Oh, it's my old sparring buddy." Said the Axman, stepping forward, brandishing his own axe. "Haven't had a proper fight with you in a while."

"It seems you still won't have one." Taipan commented. "After all, you brought friends."

Maria looked to the Axman, though her weapons were still trained on the snake in front of her. "You think you can take her?"

The Axman gave a snort of laughter. "Ye of so little faith, of course I can. I've been itching for a rematch with her for a while now."

"I know the feeling, but the question still stands." The centurion replied.

"I've got this, you two go start up the ship." The Axman said, hefting his weapon.

"Alright," Maria agreed, hefting her shield as she prepared to charge. "Ben, let's go."

"Uh, Maria I don't think that's a good idea." Ben replied, gesturing to their right across the airfield. Maria followed his gaze, the sight confusing her. The mercenaries had returned and they brought one of the massive crates with them.

The one who seemed to be leading them gave a single order to his men that echoed through the airfield: "Break the lock!"

Maria looked up at the top of the crate where a man with an axe stood. "Ben, shoot him down!"

Ben raised his sword and shifted it to its gun form as the man raised his axe for his strike. The soldier opened fire, but not before the man swung his axe, cutting the lock on the crate in half. The box opened, the door slamming to the ground with the sound of thunder, the hissing and moaning of the box's contents told Maria exactly what was in them. "They've released the Inferri!" She cried.

Things didn't get better form there. The sound of countless engines starting caught the attention of the centurion and her teammates as the countless dustplanes roared to life and lifted off. Based only on the direction they were taking, she knew just where they were heading. "They're bringing the monsters to Vale!"

"Head inside and get the ship started!" Ben called, taking aim at the shambling hordes emerging from the box. "I'll deal with this!"

Maria looked like the wanted to argue, but inside, she knew this had to be done. "If they didn't get this ship started, they'd never got off this island and back to Vale. The kingdom would never survive the onslaught of monsters crammed onto those ships, and at least five of the massive craft were headed for the kingdom. With a nod to Ben, Maria turned to face the Axman. "I'm ready when you are."

The Axman smirked and raised his axe. "Alright, let's go!" With that, he charged at an impossible speed, his axe slamming into Taipan's as a struggle of might began.

Maria knew she wasn't going to get another distraction so the charged, using her shield to barrel through Taipan as she ran into the depths of the _Serenity. _

Meanwhile, Ben opened fire on the oncoming hordes of monsters, the rapid fire rounds of his weapon tearing the creatures to pieces, though at the back of the horde he could see the real threat: a massive, hulking Behemoth. The monster bellowed at him before charging, one of its massive arms bulldozing through any of its weaker brethren as it attacked. Ben grimaced as he kept firing, slamming his finger down on the trigger, mowing down countless ghouls before hearing the sound he normally dreaded, though tonight looked forward to:

_*Click*_

The second his weapon was empty, he shifted it to its sword form and charged, bellowing a war cry of his own.

As Ben charged, the Axman fought with Taipan, his axe a blur of motion as he struck at her, blocking any attacks she made as he did. Their weapons once again clashed in a deadlock. "Why do this?" He asked as he pressed with all his might.

To her credit, Taipan pushed back just as hard. "You don't understand what it's like to be a faunus, being hated and feared for nothing more than your race!" She declared, kicking the Axman in the knee and slamming into his head with the pommel of her axe, sending the vigilante crashing to the ground. "If the humans won't respect us for who we are, then we'll make them respect." She said, raising her axe to finish the job, but as she swung down, the Axman rolled out of the way, retreating into the ship as he did.

"You won't win respect by doing this, you'll just get a slaughter!" The Axman replied. "Your boss is dumping ghouls into a highly populated city! Humans and faunus alike will die or worse!"

Taipan growled. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that the Axman was partially right. This plan of the commander's was going to kill thousands if it succeeded. That's when a thought occurred to her: this wasn't her commander's plan. It was Blanch and Cinder's idea. Now that she thought of it, the White Fang on the island had been largely kept in the dark about exactly what they were working for was. Even Caroline was kept ignorant of what lived on this island until shortly after they arrived.

This wasn't the plan of the White Fang. They were just going to take the blame for the outcome.

oxoxoxo

The lightning might have knocked Bartholomew down, but the mercenary wasn't taking the hint. He had gotten up, bruised but incredibly angry and launched into an all out onslaught of blades and bullets. To make matters worse, a horde of Inferri had stumbled onto the battlefield, forcing Alison to deal with them while Thatch fought the hooded mercenary. The renegade blocked an axe strike with his sword, but was forced to dodge out of the way of Bartholomew's scimitar. "I could do this all day, old timer, what about you?"

"Don't taunt me, kid." Bartholomew spat back, punctuating his sentence with a spray of buckshot from his axe, a shot Thatch barely dodged. "I've been at this a lot longer than you."

"Then how come you can't seem to hit me?" Thatch replied, slashing at the elder swordsman. Their blades locked in a spray of sparks, but Thatch had a second blade, and with a powerful swing he let it fly, cutting through Bartholomew's coat and drawing blood from his arm. The mercenary cried out in pain before kicking Thatch in the chest, knocking the wind out of the renegade as they both stumbled back.

Bartholomew recovered first and charged, sword aiming for Thatch's neck. The renegade sidestepped the attack, but the strike managed to knock the hat from his head, his black hair tumbling out from beneath it. "You're a slippery one, kid." Bartholomew commented, his aura healing the wound in his arm. "But slipperiness will only get you so far against age and experience."

"You'd be very surprised just what a bit of slipperiness can do for you, old timer." Thatch replied, panting in between words.

"Really now?" Bartholomew said, cocking his head as he looked down to the younger fighter. "Let's see what you can do."

Thatch smirked before letting out a war cry and charging, swords out. As expected, Bartholomew blocked the renegade's first slash from the left, and parried his second strike with his axe, using the weapon to yank _Anne _form Thatch's grasp. With a now free right hand, Thatch hooked the mercenary in the jaw, Bartholomew responding by kneeing him in the gut, making the renegade double over in pain. Thatch reached a hand out and grabbed Bartholomew by the belt, but the hooded mercenary kicked him in the head, knocking the renegade onto his back, groaning in pain. "What was that about youth and slipperiness winning the day?" Bartholomew taunted. "I think I've shown that experience is more valuable here."

Thatch looked up at the mercenary with a grimace of pain, but as he grew closer to the downed renegade, his grimace turned into a grin. Before Bartholomew could demand an explanation, Thatch pulled the axe he had stolen from the mercenary's belt, firing its shotgun into Bartholomew's chest, draining the remainder of his aura and sending him falling back into a stack of crates. Thatch hauled himself to his feet and sheathed the axe at his belt. As he collected his sword, he turned to where Bartholomew had fallen. "Next time, watch your weapons. Someone might just decide to borrow one." Thatch replaced his tricorne hat atop his head. "I think I'll keep this one." He said, patting the axe at his belt. He turned to face Alison, seeing that the girl was still facing down a horde of the dead. "Alison, Time to go!"

The artist turned to him and nodded, firing a red bolt from her zhua into the ranks of the dead. In two seconds, the bolt burst in a massive explosion of fire, sending ghouls flying in every direction. "Now's our chance." The artist said. "Let's go!"

oxoxoxo

One shot from _Mademoiselle _was all it took to shatter one of the windows near Francois, the nobleman leaping out shortly after the bullet, Cobra hot on his heels. "You coward, get back here!" the snake spat.

"I thought it might be nice to get some fresh air." The noble said, turning and opening fire on the snake.

The serpent dodged the shots he fired and closed in, but Francois leapt back from her strike, switching his rifle to blade form and returning a few shots, all of which were either dodged or parried.

The two continued their strikes and blocks, steel glinting and sparks flying in the dim light of the moon. Francois' elegant fencing was an equal match to Wun's serpentine savagery, but both were growing fatigued after all the time they spent fighting. However, until his new foe was beaten, there was little he could do but wait until his team found a way off the island. "Any day now would be _tres fantastique..." _Francois muttered to himself.

oxoxoxo

Ben swung his massive blade at the Behemoth, but the monster stopped his attack cold, grabbing the blade and holding it in place as it tried to force him back. Ben, however, wasn't going anywhere, and with his semblance of strength he matched the beast pound for pound. And he hadn't even used his secret weapon.

Flicking a switch on his sword's hilt, the blade began to glow. The Behemoth screamed in pain as its hands burned on contact, the sword burning white hot. His opponent distracted, Ben reared back and hooked the monster in the jaw. As the beast stumbled back, losing its grip on his sword, Ben swung the weapon in a mighty arc, severing the Behemoth's left hand.

Roaring in pain after the attack, the Behemoth charged, slamming into Ben and throwing him to the ground. The Behemoth raised its massive fist in the air to finish the downed soldier off, bringing it down with a bellow of rage. Before the attack could connect, however, it was stopped, Ben had reached up and caught the monster's fist. And he wasn't prepared to let go.

His opponent in reach, Ben took his sword in one hand, the blade still glowing white hot, and jammed it into the monster's chest. The beast roared in agony, but the soldier wasn't done yet. Summoning his massive strength, Ben tore the blade up through the body, cutting from its chest through its skull. The beast ceased its roaring.

Ben shoved the now disintegrating corpse off him and turned back to the ship. The Inferri released from the crate were beginning to thin out with only the occasional shambling corpse remaining on the airfield. The soldier kept his weapon in sword mode, he had spent enough ammo killing the hordes of monsters, so he resolved to simply cut down any who got too close.

At that moment, however, his spirits were lifted. The engines of the _Serenity _slowly groaned to life, the port and starboard engines spinning while the rear engine gave off a soft glow.

"_Team EMAD, the ship is running."_ Maria announced over their scrolls. _"We'll be taking off as soon as you all arrive."_

The Axman grinned as the voice of Maria came from his scroll. "We'll be taking off soon, Taipan." He said, circling his opponent. "Last chance to surrender."

"No." The snake declared. "I can't just abandon the commander, my family!" The belted out. Though one thing was easy to tell, even for the madman who faced her: she wasn't trying to convince him, just herself. "I have to beat you! I have to stop you! I-"

And that was as far as Taipan got before Maria snuck up behind her and slammed her shield into the top of her head. The serpent crumpled to the floor. "Oh, look at that, I stopped her." Maria commented.

"So, what do we do with her now?" The Axman asked.

"Find a place to tie her up." Maria ordered. "There are a few rooms for crew members on this ship, use one of them. Oh, and search her mouth for a cyanide capsule, I'd like a chat with her, and that's much easier if she's still alive."

"Aye aye capn'." The Axman joked, giving a salute and scooping up the unconscious extremist.

"Wait a minute." The centurion ordered as Ben entered the ship. "Take Ben with you. He'll make sure you don't try anything... inappropriate with her."

"You really don't trust me, do you?" The vigilante asked.

"I just met you."

"Touche."

oxoxoxo

"_Team EMAD, the ship is running." _The voice of Maria announced over Francois' scroll. _"We'll be taking off as soon as you all arrive."_

The nobleman turned to his serpentine opponent. "Well, it seems this is where I bit you _bonne nuit, madame." _He said. With those words, Francois gave a running start and leapt off the building. The low roof, his aura and rolling as he landed prevented him from too much bruising. He took off running, ignoring the hurled insults from Wun as she called for his head.

Wun groaned in exhaustion as the noble fled their duel. As much as she wanted him dead, after that much fighting, her adrenaline was beginning to wear off, and she wanted nothing more than to collapse in exhaustion. She took one last look at the noble, watching him join with two more of his teammates as they made their way to one of the last ships on the airfield. Inside, three of their comrades waited and... wait. There was someone else in the ship.

Her eyes widening in horror, Wun watched as one of them picked up Micca and slung her over his shoulder. She felt a tear well up in her eye as she watched. They had beaten her sister, she was in their hands now. Wun knew what that meant. Every White Fang assassin had a contingency plan in case they were ever captured. Knowing Micca's determination, she would use it.

The death of her sister all but certain at this point, Wun let loose her rage, screaming to the heavens as she leapt off the roof and gave chase after the humans who dared lay a hand on her beloved sister.

oxoxoxo

Maria could not have been more relieved when the rest of her teammates arrived.

Thatch, Alison and Francois all arrived at the _Serenity _at once, with the renegade immediately making for the cockpit, Francois agreeing to be his co-pilot and Alison joining her in waiting for Fantine and Vlad.

They needed to arrive soon, otherwise they'd never be able to catch up to the other ships.

Growing frustrated, Maria pulled out her scroll and dialled the professor. "Professor Fantine, we have our way off the island, we're just waiting on you, sir."

"_I'm afraid we have a problem, Miss Gaia." _Fantine responded.

"What do you mean, sir?" Maria demanded.

Fantine looked up from his call at the forty White Fang soldiers that now surrounded him as Vlad continued his duel with Caroline. "I've run into some... trouble. It will take too long to get out of this, and if you wait for me you won't make it back to Vale in time."

"_Professor-"_

"No arguing, Miss Gaia." Fantine said. "Now go, and once you get back, tell Ironwood that I was right. We need more troops in this place."

Silence dominated the call, neither side saying a word. Fantine looked out over the soldiers surrounding him, the sounds of Vlad and Caroline as they struck at one another with their weapons, the sounds of contact and painful strikes filled the air. Finally, Maria responded. _"Yes sir."_

Fantine said nothing more, ending the call at those words. He dared not move, lest one of the many men who surrounded him start firing. He could only watch Vlad's fight and hope the former general survived.

And watching the fight now, that seemed unlikely.

The phantom knew Vlad when he was in the army, knowing the man's semblance allowed him near total invulnerability and accelerated healing, but the amount of strain it put on his body was incredibly taxing, and he could see him beginning to fade. His strikes were less furious and he was panting much more in between each blow. Caroline wasn't faring much better. Though she wasn't as strained by her abilities, she lacked Vlad's regenerative abilities, so the many bruises and cuts she'd received during the fight were highly visible.

The end was near, and no matter who won, he wasn't willing to risk putting the students through the interrogation tactics of the White Fang.

Maria placed her scroll back in her pocket. Alison was quick to notice the look of grim determination mixed with crushing regret that dominated her features. "What did he say?" She asked.

Maria grimaced. "We're leaving." She said, the words weighing heavily on her. "Get up to the cockpit, tell Thatch to take off and get us on a course for Vale. I'm calling a meeting once we're on course and he can activate the auto pilot."

"But what about the professor?" Alison asked.

Maria grimaced. "He's staying behind."

"What, why is he-"

"Those were his orders, and I'm going to follow them." The centurion barked. Noticing the shock on Alison's face, she dropped her voice to a softer tone. "If we don't leave now, they're going to drop these monsters in Vale. It'll be a massacre, and we need to prevent it."

Maria watched as Alison's face went from shock and despair to reluctant acceptance. This looked like it was physically painful to her, but they needed to do this. "I'll tell Thatch to take off."

The centurion nodded. "Thank you."

Alison turned and ran towards the cockpit while Maria moved to shut the door. As the door closed, she took one last look at the Firebase. Part of her wanted nothing more than to leap off the ship, insisting that no one be left behind and stage a daring rescue of the professor, but she knew just what would happen if she did. While she might be able to save him, they'd be condemning scores of civilians to death. So, it was with a heavy heart that Maria turned from the door, not wanting to look as it closed behind her. The sounds of her boots echoed through the cargo bay as she made her way to the crew deck. Her first mission with her team, and their field leader had been left behind. She felt the ship taking off under her feet, and though the whole team was aboard, it felt as though a piece of her had been left behind to die with the professor.

oxoxoxo

Wun reached the ship just as it left the ground, carrying her sister off into the sky. She made a running leap, fuelled by all the aura she had left, but just as she got within reach of the ship, she hit the peak of her jump, missing the craft by less than a centimetre.

Time seemed to slow as she realized just what had happened. Her sister's sepulchre flew off as she plummeted towards the ground, her mouth open as a scream of absolute anguish tore itself from her throat.

The pain of her impact with the airfield ground was ignored, her screams of pain mixing in with the anguish as the ship became little more than the three bright points of its engines in the night sky. In her pain, Wun swore that she would hunt down the humans who took her sister from her if it was the last thing she ever did.

oxoxoxo

With a groan of pain and a light yet steady stream of blood, Bartholomew hauled himself up from the wooden crates he had been shot into, rising just in time to watch Team EMAD take off in the _Serenity. _"Having troubles, my friend?" said a voice behind him.

The mercenary turned to see Derek Blanch standing behind him, the black haired man wearing his trademark black suit and sinister smirk as he watched the ship taking off. "I'm sorry sir, they got away." Bartholomew said, clearly in pain.

Derek's smile became almost friendly as he put a hand on Bartholomew's shoulder. "Relax, my good man. This is far from a failure, my friend. This is all but a perfect success." At the mercenary's confused look, Derek gestured inside the base. "Please, come in, allow me to explain."

**oxoxoxo**

**Hoo boy that took a while to type, been at that for a while now and I think that's the longest chapter so far. Here's hoping it's as awesome for you guys to read as it was for me to write.**

**So, will Team EMAD make it back to Vale in time? How will they stop the dustplanes?**

**You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out, as Team EMAD race back to Vale to rally the city's defenders against the ranks of the undead dropped into their midst.**

**As always, please leave a review, especially for this chapter. I worked hard on this one, and I hope you all love it.**


	20. Chapter 17: Impact I

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 17**

**oxoxoxo**

Vlad and Fantine bolted around a corner in the firebase, retracing their steps and going back the way they came, the Caroleans' numbers doing them little good in the narrow hallways leading to the center of the base. "Why are we going back this way?" Vlad demanded. The deserter was running on pure adrenaline at this point, the extensive use of his semblance against Caroline rapidly tiring him out, ultimately forcing Erik to call for a retreat as the two of them wouldn't last long against the sheer firepower the lioness and her men possessed in their state.

"One of my students managed to escape from in here tonight, we'll be using his escape route to get out." Fantine explained, sounding none the worse for wear, even with a round from _Shining Roar _in his shoulder. In their bid to escape, Erik had plunged the entire room into darkness, then used a length of rope to grab Vlad and make a run for the exit. The second they left, however, the illusion of darkness had broken, the Caroleans and their commander spotting them as they ran and giving chase, opening fire as soon as they had a line of sight. Vlad and Erik managed to avoid the bulk of the bullets, their aura absorbing most of the rounds that hit them, but the shot from Caroline's rifle shot right through the phantom's aura, wounding his shoulder.

"Think we can get to it before those guys catch up?" Vlad shot back.

"I certainly hope so." Fantine replied. "Now shut up and keep running." It wasn't long before the two reached the site of Francois' duel with Wun, the gaping hole in the ceiling being a dead giveaway. "There." Fantine called, pointing to the detonation site. Raising an arm, he fired a rope at the upper level, the noose on the end, catching on the edge of the hole.

Fantine grabbed the general next to him. "Watch the hands!" the madman protested.

Erik ignored him and pulled on the rope emerging from his sleeve, hauling the two of them through the hole in the ceiling and onto the next level, a hail of gunfire soaring beneath their feet as the Caroleans caught up. Fantine immediately cast his eyes desperately about the room as he searched for a way out. "There." He declared, pointing to a shattered window. "Out the window and onto the grounds. We escape this compound we live another day."

"If you can call staying here living." Vlad replied.

The sounds of angry soldiers attempting to climb onto the upper levels from the hole in the floor behind them gave the two of them pause. "It's either take our chances out there or see if these gentlemen and the lady in charge would be kind enough to let us live long enough to escape. Your call."

Vlad snarled. "Inferri it is. Let's go."

Fantine nodded, the two of them charging for the shattered window, emerging onto the exterior of the fort just in time to watch the engines of the stolen _Serenity _fade from view. "There they go." The phantom said as he watched his students become little more than a glimmer on the horizon.

"You think they'll make it?" Vlad asked.

Erik didn't even turn to the madman as he watched. "They have to be. Vale needs as many defenders as it can get right now."

A slap on the arm caught the phantom's attention as Vlad pointed down into the airfield. Several Inferri were still wandering the grounds, looking for anything alive to feast on. Vlad and Fantine both watched in morbid fascination as the ghouls descended on a lone mercenary they had cornered, the man's screams of terror turning to pained gurgles as the monsters chewed through his throat. "I was talking about these idiots. What were they thinking? I know these animals only do what their master tells them, but I thought that lion chick looked smarter than this."

"They're just as human as we are, mister Paler." Fantine said, speaking as though an unruly student. "Though you do have a point. Why would the White Fang come out here? It makes no sense."

"As much as I'd like to explain to you how mad these dogs are, they won't be delayed for too long." Vlad reminded him. "We need to get out, and quickly."

Fantine nodded. "The airfield is fenced in, but I'm sure we can knock it down or make a large enough hole to escape through. Let's go."

Vlad nodded and the two of them leaped off the edge of the Firebase, landing on the ground with a role, both of them immediately breaking into a run for the fence. "Where should we hide out?" the madman asked. "I've got a hideout on the other side of the island, we can go there."

"Bad idea, Mister Paler." The professor explained. "The other side of the island might be a good long term goal, but for now, we need somewhere closer and more easily defensible."

"You've got a lot of crap in that coat of yours, is one of those things a spare fortress?"

"No, but I did spot a large structure on the flight to the island." Fantine continued. "A temple or mausoleum of some kind. We can hold up there and thin their numbers down a bit before making for your hideout. With any luck, there will be a second exit from the place and we can escape through there."

The madman pondered this as the two of them reached the fence. "Not a bad idea, old timer." He said.

"You should trust me more." The phantom explained. "Now make yourself useful and cut open the fence."

"You don't get to talk to me like that!" Vlad spat back.

"We don't have time for this, cut open the fence and let's go!"

Vlad snarled and raised his halberd. With a mighty downward chop he cleaved through the chain fence. Activating his semblance to avoid further injury, the former general grabbed the cut fence and tore it open wide enough for the two of them to comfortably fit through. "Alright, I made us a door. Which way to the temple?"

Fantine wracked his memory of just what the island looked like from above. Using that memory, he called upon his semblance and brought up a bird's eye view of the island. "It's right here." He said, pointing to the ancient structure. "To the west of here. Let's move."

Vlad nodded and as Fantine deactivated his semblance, the two of them ran into the darkened trees, the barest hints of dawn's first light coming over the horizon blocked out by the thick foliage.

Caorline and her men ran onto the airfield just in time to see the last of their intruders run into the forest. "Hold, men." She commanded. "We'll regroup, gather our best trackers and then follow them. The last thing we need to do is run blind into hostile territory." The commander turned to face her men. "Head back inside and rest for a bit, we'll be heading back out in a few hours."

oxoxoxo

Thatch grimaced as he brought the _Serenity _up to cruising altitude. According to the navigational systems, they were on course to Vale. With a heavy sigh, he flicked on the auto pilot and sat back in his seat.

The very noticeable sound of the cockpit door opening drew Thatch's attention to his apparent visitor. "Didn't think I'd get too much company up here." The renegade remarked.

Alison smiled at him from the doorway. "Does that mean you want me to leave?" She asked.

Thatch stretched wearily and gestured to the co-pilot's seat. "Not on your life. Take a seat."

The artist smiled and took the second seat. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Thatch frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

Alison fidgeted in her seat. "You were hit by that guy's power pretty hard. It's similar to yours, right? I just wanted to make sure you weren't still, you know... scared or anything..." she said, looking down at her lap.

The swordsman put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm alright." He said. "I was a bit shaken, and I probably won't get too much sleep tonight, but since I have to pilot this thing, falling asleep is probably the last thing I want to do now. Are you okay though? You were hit by him too."

The artist frowned and kept her eyes on her lap, pulling her knees up to her chest. "I'm alright now. I was scared when he used his power, but I'll be alright."

Thatch gave her a look. "I know you're lying."

"What?"

"You have the same look in your eyes as when you didn't want to talk to me last semester." Thatch explained. "You know you can tell me what's bothering you, right?"

Alison pouted slightly but looked up to face her teammate nonetheless. "It was terrifying." She admitted. "Even after the worst of it wore off, I still second guessed everything I did on the off chance I'd end up hurting you or worse... It made me wonder just what happened to you and if it was as bad or even worse."

Thatch let out a heavy sigh. "I won't lie, it was pretty bad, but if it weren't for you it would've been a whole lot worse. Thank you, not just for down there, but for coming here to talk to me."

The artist's face turned red. "It was nothing..." She muttered, a small smile spreading across her face.

The renegade chuckled at the expression on her face and leaned back in his chair. "My mum is never going to let us live this down."

Alison let out a small giggle of her own. "Probably not. She did make fun of us a lot before we..." she trailed off slightly. She still wasn't quite sure what to call her relationship with her teammate. Teammate seemed to casual after they had kissed, and they were definitely more than friends by this point. She was tempted to ask Thatch what he thought, but with the renegade's focus needed on the ship he flew and the mission they were on, putting something like this on his mind was probably a bad idea.

"You know she likes you." Thatch said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Wha?" Alison stammered as she tried to catch up.

"My mum. She teases people she likes, it's just what she does. Spent most of my life with that woman, she raised me all on her own, I think I know her by this point."

The artist cast her mind back to the image of Mary Ebonwood, the ebon haired innkeeper from Vale. For the longest time since she met Thatch she wondered about where he had come from, Francois and Maria were obvious, Francois being form a wealthy Vale family and Maria being from Mistral with ties to Atlas. Her third and final teammate, however, she knew little about. When she was told she would be meeting his mother, she was surprised, to say the least, and when she found out that she was a smalltime innkeeper and not a swashbuckling sailor herself, she was a bit disappointed. Then she found out that the woman had raised Thatch entirely on her own and her respect for the innkeeper skyrocketed. It didn't matter that she wasn't a fighter, it didn't matter that she wasn't a huntress, what mattered was that she was a great woman in her own right, one who cared about her child and who worked to make his life better.

Thinking about the woman made Alison remember something: when they had visited Mary to go through the APC they had taken from the White Fang, the innkeeper had shared a story with her, the story of Thatch's father. She remembered Mary had said that she had never told her son, and Alison could only wonder why. Surely a young boy, even one raised by a single mother would want to know who his father was. Mary had mentioned that Thatch asked her once, but that he hadn't come back to ask again after she didn't give him an answer. Her curiosity piqued, Alison decided maybe she could bring up the conversation. "Thatch, mind if I ask a question? It's a bit... personal."

Thatch shrugged. "Ask away."

The artist hesitated before taking a deep breath and voicing her question, stumbling over her words as she did. "Did you ever know your father?"

The renegade frowned, leaned forward over the controls to the ship and let out a sigh. For a moment, Alison was worried she had offended him, but before she could stammer out an apology, Thatch leaned back and shrugged. "Nope."

Alison hesitated before speaking again. She didn't want to risk making things worse. "No?" She tried to confirm.

Thatch shrugged again. "Nope. I always wondered as a kid, but as I grew up, I just sort of stopped."

The artist looked at him with confusion. "Why?" She asked, genuinely curious now. "Don't you ever wonder who he is?"

Thatch shrugged again. "No. For all I know, my dad is the world's greatest huntsman or an explorer. He could be anyone, and knowing now would just spoil the mystery. All I know is his last name, the name I was given for him, and for me, that's enough."

Alison looked like she wanted to say something, but before she could speak, she realized something. He was right. It might have seemed childish for Thatch to think like this, but no true story could beat the image Thatch had of his father. It was the mystery, not the man that he loved, and who was she to say more about it. She decided in the end that Thatch deserved to have his father be the greatest man to ever exist, and to spoil his image of the man as just that would be wrong.

The artist and renegade shared a smile. Thatch reached over and put a hand on her knee as she held her legs up to her chest. "Get some rest." He said. "You've been through a lot today and I don't know how long before we have to get right back to fighting. Might as well use the time we have now."

Alison wanted to protest, but when she opened her mouth to speak, the first thing to come out was a yawn as she realized just how much her team had done that day. Thatch smirked at her and she pouted slightly. "Can I sleep here, in the cockpit?" she quietly asked.

Thatch took her hand and pressed it to his lips, making her giggle. "Go ahead." He said. "I'll wake you if anything happens."

Alison nodded and leaned back against the seat, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the headrest. Thatch smiled at her, taking his coat and laying it over her. It wasn't much as far as gestures of affection went, but she deserved to be kept warm.

oxoxoxo

Micca woke with a start, shooting to a sitting position only to realize two things: the first was that her head still hurt where she had been hit and the second was that her wrists were tied together. Instantly assuming the worst, her eyes shot open, the assassin looking over herself, fearing what she might see, but it seemed she was lucky. Aside from the bindings on her wrists, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Her hood had been pulled off and her mask removed, revealing her long, dirty blonde hair and green slitted eyes. However, aside from that, she was left completely clothed.

"You're awake." A girl's voice, said, catching the snake's attention. Micca looked up to see who had spoken. She was lying on a cot in what looked like a crewman's quarters on an airship. Sitting beside the cot were three people, the Axman, the armoured girl who broke onto the ship and a third man, the description of whom matched that of the boy Wun often duelled with. This plus the bindings on her wrists only led to one conclusion: she had been captured. The pact she had taken with her sister when they had begun their work as assassins for the White Fang had very clear guidelines on what she was to do in this situation. As much as it pained her to do so, this was how it had to be. She would never see her sister again, never work alongside Caroline, never see justice brought to the faunus. Her journey ended here.

"That's not going to work." The armoured girl said, breaking her out of her thoughts. Micca looked at her, she held a small capsule in between her two fingers. The snake's eyes widened. That was her way out.

Either not noticing or not caring about her panic, the armoured girl kept talking. "I'm sure you know just what's going to happen now." She said, handing the capsule off to the nobleman. "We're going to ask you a few questions. Don't try to control us, my colleague here can block your sister, so if you have any such powers, they won't work here. Now, we're going to ask you a few questions. If you don't want to answer them to me, we can call upon one of my teammates to play the "bad cop" role. Your choice."

Micca didn't speak. Then again, what was one to say in such a situation? She had been captured and she was about to be interrogated, and if this girl was the 'good cop' then she hated to think of who the bad one could be.

Taking her silence as a cue to speak, the armoured girl started her questions. "Let's start with something simple here." She began "What's your name?"

Micca looked up at the girl and glared weakly. "Taipan."

"What a nice stage name." The armoured girl remarked. "Why don't you give me your real one?"

"Why do you need it?"

"You have a point, it's not that important, I just thought I'd try being nice first."

"Knocking me out and kidnapping me is your idea of nice?" She asked.

"One has to get information somehow." The armoured girl answered. "You just happened to be here. Now, what were the White Fang planning here? Was it all just to drop those... monsters... in Vale?"

The snake girl scowled at that comment, the Axman's words ringing through her head once again. _'You won't win respect by doing this, you'll just get a slaughter!' _Those words echoed inside her mind and refused to cease. Against her better judgement, she spoke. "The White Fang had nothing to do with that." She hissed, thinking back to the island, back to Blanch and his plans, sending several of her faunus brothers out to die.

"Interesting that you say that." The armoured girl said, again, either missing or ignoring her mental struggle. "My team certainly saw many of your brethren down there and my professor is likely sitting in your commander's prison right now. Maybe you want to rephrase that one."

"I mean it!" Micca snapped. "The commander and I weren't in charge at the base." She growled.

The girl turned to her blue garbed teammate. The nobleman gave her a nod before gesturing towards their prisoner. "Alright." The girl muttered. "Let's assume for now that I believe you. If it wasn't you and your pack leader in charge down there, then who was?"

The snake hissed somewhat at what the other girl called her commander. She hesitated before answering the question. "We were under the command of a man named Derek Blanch. He led the operations in the Abyss, this was his plan and those mercenaries flying the dustplanes are his men." She explained. "This entire plan was orchestrated by a human."

"Then why were you working for them?" The girl questioned.

"Because There are only so many ways to get respect from those who hate you!" Taipan spat.

"You and I both know you're only trying to convince yourself here."

"It's the truth." She insisted. "The only way the humans will listen to us is if we fight to be heard and respected."

"All you'll accomplish through this is a slaughter on both sides." The girl insisted. "This operation in particular will do just that. These monsters will kill innocents regardless of their race. Humans and faunus will die and when it's over the blame will fall squarely at the feet of the White Fang, and you know exactly what that will do."

Micca lay back in the cot. The worst thing was she wasn't wrong. Grimm didn't choose who they killed, they just destroyed everything in their way and then moved on to wherever else they could destroy. She also knew just what this attack would do. People wouldn't just resist the White Fang anymore, they'd actively fight against them, and her fellow faunus would get caught up in the middle of it all. There would be riots, assaults, maybe even lynches. IT would only grow worse from there, and this would only be the beginning. "Alright." She acquiesced weakly. "I'll talk. But only under a few conditions."

Her interrogator and her colleagues frowned. "I don't think you're in any position to be bargaining." She said. "But I'm willing to listen if you're willing to talk."

"I'll talk, but you're not getting any information on the White Fang. Blanch and his men, however, I'd be more than happy to chat about."

Maria cocked an eyebrow and leaned forward. "Alright, tell me about them."

oxoxoxo

Ben sat in the room that had been assigned to him when they took off, running a rag over his sword. The blade still had blood form the many Inferri he had cut apart, and a soldier like him was nothing without a clean weapon, everyone knew that.

However, while protocol dictated that he should keep a clean weapon, the giant's mind was not in his work. No, he was back in the Abyss, at the moment when he saw Vlad for the first time in months after thinking him dead. He may have been trapped on an undead infested hellhole, but somehow the man still lived, even after the loss of the army. This made Ben wonder, just how had he survived whatever it was that wiped out the army?

That brought another thought to his mind: Did Erwin survive as well?

If Vlad made it, it was not only possible but likely that his mentor still lived as well. One day, Ben would have to return to the Abyss and find out.

He was pulled out of his memories rather jarringly when a message came in over the ship's PA. _"Break's over everyone." _Thatch's voice called out. _"We have visual on the enemy dustplanes."_

That got Ben's attention instantly, the soldier leaping to his feet and sheathing his sword at his back. The next voice to come over the PA was Maria's her words beginning as soon as he left his quarters. _"This is Maria. All personnel to the cockpit for briefing on the mission plan."_

Ben fought the urge to yell 'yes ma'am' as he set off in the direction of the cockpit. When the giant entered the room, he was surprised to find that he was the last to arrive. Thatch was at the wheel with Alison standing behind him, a hand on his shoulder. Maria stood next to them, sword at her belt and shield along her back, arms crossed as she glared out the window at the enemy ahead of them, the Axman was standing behind her, practically vibrating with energy as he waited for Maria to give the command to act. However, none of this compared to his surprise at seeing Francois' company. "What the hell is she doing here?" Ben demanded.

The source of his outrage was obvious to anyone in the cockpit. Standing next to the nobleman, unbound yet unarmed was the White Fang assassin they had captured.

"Ben," Maria began "I know this looks bad, but let me explain."

"There had better be a damn good explanation for this." He growled.

"There is." The centurion assured him. "Taipan has agreed to help us fight off the attack on Vale."

"She'd fight her own people?" Ben said with disbelief.

"These aren't my people." Taipan spat. "The men aboard those ships are human. Mercenaries hired by the man running the operations at the Abyss."

"My team and I have been looking into White Fang operations in the northeast since the beginning of the semester." Maria explained. "We always thought it was them running the operations, but it seems we were mistaken. A name mentioned on a dead drop letter we found was one Derek Blanch, Taipan here says he was in charge at the Abyss and that this was his plan."

Ben turned to the serpent who nodded. "Blanch took control of our forces there and had them round up those... monsters..."

"And you know the story from there." The Axman interjected, practically bouncing on the soles of his feet. "Now, can we please get back to the mission?"

"But what if she tries to kill us or escape?" Ben demanded, incredulous. "How can we be sure she'll stay in line?"

"She's unarmed," Francois began "And should she try anything... untoward, I have certain talents that can, how you say, mess with her." The nobleman said, his eyes glowing gold for a moment.

Ben was about to talk back again, when a sense of calm fell over him. He took a breath and grudgingly turned back to his team leader. "Fine, she's with us. What's the plan for the enemy?"

"We're getting closer." Thatch warned from the pilot's seat.

Ben and Maria looked out the window at the enemy before them. From this distance they could clearly make out their numbers. Seven of them, all massive cargo ships, each one with a deadly payload that would wreak havoc on the city as soon as they were dropped. If even one of those ships managed to land in Vale it would be trouble, if all of them did, it was a catastrophe.

Maria grimaced at the thought. "Thatch, how long until we're within firing range?"

"Uh, fearless leader, this is a transport ship, we're flying unarmed." The renegade replied.

"I know." Maria said "And so are they. There's a door along the front of the ship below the cockpit and in front of the cargo hold. Ben, Alison, you two are with me. The rest of you, get ready for a fight. Francois, keep an eye on our guest, make sure she doesn't try anything funny. Thatch, get us in close."

"Yes ma'am!" Came the near instant reply.

Maria nodded. "Thatch, one last thing. I've got my earpiece in, I want to know when we get close enough to contact Vale."

"Got it." The renegade replied, his eyes never leaving the enemy. The centurion nodded once again and turned on her heel, marching out of the cockpit flanked by Alison and Ben. "Alright then." Thatch muttered to himself. "Let's see just what this classic is made of."

oxoxoxo

The second Wun entered her office, Caroline knew something was wrong. The girl looked not just angry, but absolutely furious, yet at the same seemed to be on the verge of tears, something difficult to tell when the girl had her hood and mask on. Caroline, however, knew her troops, and having the ability to repress her own emotions had given her a much greater clarity on the emotions of those around her. "Wun." The commander cautiously opened. "Are you okay?"

The younger snake sister shut the door behind her and pulled off her hood, revealing the cropped short brown hair beneath it. She then reached up and pulled off her mask, her soft features a sharp contrast to her sharp green slitted eyes, tears welling up in their corners. "No, no commander, I'm not." She said, clearly trying to keep her voice as level as she could.

Caroline, instantly reacting, pulled a chair from behind her desk and gestured for the snake girl to take a seat. As Wun sat in the chair, the lioness moved to lock the door before returning and sitting on her desk. "What happened?" The commander asked, simply yet gently.

Wun looked up to her commander, mouth open, but no noise emerging. She finally managed to croak out a weak "Commander, I..." But that was all before she was silent again.

Caroline, reached up and pulled off her hat, setting it down on her desk before doing the same with her mask. Her mane of golden blonde hair framed her equally golden catlike eyes, the concern in those eyes obvious as they stared into those of one of her closest friends and allies. "Wun. Talk to me." She said softly, a tone few had ever heard her speak in. "Please."

The younger snake sister sniffed as the tears suddenly started flowing. "Micca... she's gone." She sniffled. "They... they took her. They took my sister!" Wun sobbed, growing louder with every word. "She was all I had left and now she's gone!"

The lioness nearly fell off her desk. One of her most trusted lieutenants, her closest friends... one was now gone and the other stood before her in tears. She had dealt with loss before, men falling in battles, those lost on this very island... the loss of her father all those years ago... She had managed to overcome her loss, however, but it had taken precious time, time she knew they didn't have the luxury of that night. "Wun... I'm sorry..." She said, somewhat awkwardly.

"This isn't your fault..." Wun said, seeming to calm down. Caroline could tell, however, that beneath the snake's now quiet words, a fine simmering rage was building. "It was those humans. They took her from me." She hissed, furious and devastated.

"From us, Wun." Caroline corrected, placing a hand on her remaining lieutenant's shoulder. The two grieving faunus locked eyes, Wun's tear filled green orbs meeting her warm, golden ones. "You and Micca are my sisters too."

That finally broke the younger girl down as she jumped on her commander, wrapping her arms around her neck and sobbing heavily into her shoulder. "My sister is gone..." She moaned.

Caroline gently returned the embrace, holding the closest thing she had to a sister as close to her as she could. "I know, and I'm sorry Wun."

"I'll kill the ones who took her from me." She whispered. "Those humans will pay."

Caroline broke the embrace and held Wun at an arm's length. "Some of them are still on this island. I'm going to find them."

Wun gave one last sniffle before steeling herself. "I'm going with you." She declared.

The commander shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can't let you do that."

"You can't stop me, Caroline." Wun argued. "They have to pay for what they did to her!" she spat.

"Wun, listen to yourself right now." Caroline insisted. "You're too emotional to go after a seasoned soldier and a professional huntsman. You just got out of a fight with another huntsman, if you rush into this fight in your condition, then you'll only end up getting hurt, or worse."

"You don't understand." Wun hissed.

"Believe me, I do." Caroline replied, looking down at her own lap, her golden hair hanging in her face. "When I first heard my father died, all I wanted was to track down and punish those responsible, the humans who left him for dead in the forest of Ognoc and the Grimm that murdered him. But if I had gone then, I would be dead now. I was too emotional and when I tried to fire the rifle I inherited from my father I nearly broke my shoulder."

"They took my sister from me." Wun spat.

"And I won't let them take my sister from me!" Caroline shot back. "I can't lose another friend, not two in one night. Get some rest. As soon as I bring those two in, we're leaving."

"Leaving?" Wun asked, the anger in her former words now replaced with confusion. "Why?"

The commander's face shifted to become one of absolute seriousness. "Let's just say our host hasn't been entirely honest with us. Read over the files you got me, you'll understand." Caroline stood up from her desk and replaced her mask and hat on her face and head again. "And pack your bags while you read, I'm ordering a White Fang evacuation at sunrise."

"We're not taking Blanch and his men?" Wun inquired.

Caroline turned to face her younger sister, all traces of sympathy and concern vanishing instantly. "Read over the data you got me and then ask yourself if you want to."

oxoxoxo

Thatch brought team EMAD's ship in closer to the enemy, the renegade thanking whatever deities he could think of that these things were transport ships, otherwise they'd likely be opening fire on him. The ships were now close enough that a running jump could plausibly propel someone into the next ship over. The swordsman activated his scroll and linked it to both Maria's team's earpieces and the ship's PA system. "We're in range."

"_Perfect."_ Came Maria's reply over her scroll. _"Open the door."_

Thatch flicked a series of switches on the control panel of the ship. Outside, the cargo bay door pulled itself open, Maria, Ben and Alison all tied into the bay by a series of heavy cords holding them inside. "Alright team!" Maria shouted to be heard over the roaring winds. "Target the portside engine and fire at will!"

"Yes ma'am!" Came the response from Alison and Ben, all three of them raising their weapons. Once locked onto the portside engine of the nearest ship, all three opened fire, a swarm of bullets, both normal rounds from Maria's shield and the rapidly expanding rounds from Ben's sword slammed into the engine, along with ice dust from Alison's zhua. In little time, the engine began smoking, black smoke emerging from several holes, the engine groaning from both the damage it was taking and the ice forming on it. Before long, the engine burst into flame, the ship pitching to the left as the engine finally completely gave out, the descending plane beginning to fall towards them.

"Thatch, pull us back!" Maria ordered as the dustplane came closer.

"_Hang on to something!" _The renegade hollered. The dustplane drew closer, but just before it would have hit the _Serenity, _the ship's port and starboard engines swivelled around to face the front of the ship, both engines giving a burst of gas, the recoil from said burst throwing the ship's occupants to the ground at the sudden movement, Alison losing her grip and tumbling out of the cargo hold, screaming as she began to fell, only being saved by the cord around her waist.

"Alison!" Maria screamed as Thatch began to level the ship out again. The centurion sheathed her sword and darted forward, grabbing Alison's hand and pulling her back into the _Serenity. _As she pulled the artist aboard, the two of them looked down at the enemy dustplane as it went down. They could see several of the mercenaries jump ship as they neared the ground, the dustplane eventually slamming into the earth with a deafening screech as it ploughed its way into the ground, eventually exploding in a massive fireball. "Alison, you see any Inferri down there?" She asked.

The artist trained her eyes on the wreckage below before shaking her head. "Nothing's moving in there. Maybe there weren't too many on that one."

"Maybe." Maria mused. "Alright you two, reload and make ready. Thatch, get us in close to the next dustplane."

"_Aye. I'm on it." _Thatch replied.

As the renegade turned them towards the next enemy vessel, Alison and Ben both ejected their used clips and inserted a fresh one before nodding to Maria. They were ready for the next one. "Alright Thatch, have your hand on the brake this time, we don't need another near crash."

"_I don't crash, fearless leader, I make ships dance. This dance is just a bit more exciting than usual."_

"Whatever you say, Captain Edwards." Ben replied, the soldier already taking aim at the enemy with his LMG.

"_Did Ben just tell a joke?" _Thatch said, incredulous. _"This trip just keeps getting stranger."_

"Focus." Maria said. "I don't need too much more excitement in this dance."

"_You may just get some." _Francois interrupted. _"Several mercenaries just jumped from their ship onto ours. It seems they intend to, how you say, crash our party."_

"That figures." Maria groaned. "Thatch, keep at the wheel, all other hands, prepare to repel boarders."

"_They're landing on the top hull." _Thatch reported. _"If they want to break in from up there, there's an entrance right above the bridge. Noble Boy, take the snake and the Axman and get those buggers off my new boat."_

Francois, Taipan and the Axman walked onto the bridge of the ship when the nobleman replied. "We're already here, _mon ami." _ He reported. "And since when is this 'your' ship?"

"_Since I got behind the wheel. Now get ready, they'll be less than happy to see you lot."_

Francois drew his rifle before converting it to its sword form, watching as Taipan and the Axman both unholstered their axes and nodded at him. The second he returned their nod, the hatch on the roof opened, five mercenaries jumping in one after another, two with cutlasses, two with rifles and the fifth with an axe.

Francois immediately rushed one of the riflemen, grabbing his rifle in his free hand, pushing it aside and hooking the mercenary in the jaw with the cup hilt of his rapier. The man stumbled back in pain as another mercenary took aim at the nobleman with his rifle. Francois, catching the movement out of the corner of his eye, dropped into a roll out of the way, just in time to dodge the shot.

The mercenary adjusted his aim, but before he could fire, the Axman tapped him on the shoulder. Then the merc turned, the vigilante smashed his axe into the man's face, breaking his nose and making him howl in pain.

Another merc swung his cutlass at the Axman, but the madman blocked it with the shaft of his axe before kicking the man in his manhood, doubling him over in pain. The vigilante then slammed his axe into the man's chin from below, bringing him back to a standing position as he lost a few teeth from the blow. The cocking of a rifle from behind him got the Axman's attention, the vigilante grabbing his victim and immediately using him as a human shield as the other merc opened fire, the hostage's aura absorbing the shots before the Axman hurled him at his gun toting comrade, their heads colliding and knocking them both out cold.

Meanwhile, Taipan was surrounded by two mercs, one with a cutlass and the other with the axe, though both seemed hesitant to move on her. During her time with the White Fang under Caroline she must have intimidated them. She turned to one of the men. "Hold still." She commanded.

The man made a noise of confustion, but didn't move, giving Taipan the chance to slam the blunt side of her axe into his skull. The man crumpled to the floor as the other one charged her, his own axe raised. She blocked his overhead chop and kicked him in the chest. The man let out a grunt, doubling over in pain. Micca struck again, slamming the shaft of her axe into his chin. The man stumbled back before Taipan struck one more time, slamming the flat of her axe into his head, sending the man crumpling to the floor.

Francois shifted his sword to its carbine form and struck the last man in the crown of his skull with the butt of his rifle, sending the man to the floor in a heap. "The uninvited guests are dealt with." Francois said into his earpiece.

Thatch smirked from the cockpit as his teammates began to open fire from the open cargo bay door. That was when he noticed more men exiting the closest ship. And there were a lot of them. "Maria," He said. "I'm closing the hatch." Before the centurion could demand an answer, Thatch had already thrown the switches to close the hatch. The second he had confirmation it was closed he set his scroll to broadcast to the entire ship. "Everyone, hold onto something!" he yelled.

With that, the renegade threw the steering wheel to the side, the port and starboard engines shifting, one facing the ground and the other the sky, the ship savagely rolling as the mercenaries tried to board, tossing the boarding party about and sending them falling to the ground below. Thatch smirked from the cockpit as he levelled the ship out. "Everyone alright?"

"_You left my stomach behind." _Francois groaned.

"_That was awesome!" _The Axman screamed.

"_Don't EVER do that again." _Maria ordered.

The renegade just chuckled. "I'll bring us close to the ship again." he said, flying the _Serenity _in closer to the already damaged dustplane. "Opening the doors now."

The second the doors were open wide enough, Maria gave the order Ben and Alison were waiting for: "Open fire!"

They didn't need to be told twice, a stream of bullets and dust tore right through the plane's portside engine, Thatch pulling the _Serenity _back as the dustplane spiralled out of the sky, managing to much more easily avoid the falling ship, the plane sailing to the earth below, crew members jumping ship like madmen before the craft slammed into the ground, the ensuing explosion blowing a crater in the earth.

"Two down, five to go." Maria reported, struggling to be heard over the roar of the engines and the whipping wind. "Thatch, get us in close to the next one."

"_Fearless leader, we're close enough to contact Vale." _Thatch informed her as he steered the ship towards their next target.

Maria's eyes widened. "We're that close already?"

"_These ships are faster than they look." _Thatch replied. _"Whatever plan you have, you'd better get it done quickly."_

"I'm on it." The centurion said with a nod. "Bring the ship in closer to the next dustplane, Alison, Ben, when we're in range open fire. I'll be back." With that, Maria stormed out of the cargo hold and into the ship's interior.

oxoxoxo

Julia Gaia gripped the arms of her chair aboard the bridge of her dreadnaught, _The Rubicon_. The city below was in chaos, Grimm running amok, emerging from a hole blasted into the city from below the earth. People were in a panic, hunters and military personnel alike were scrambling to contain the creatures, and here she was, stuck on her ship while Ironwood led the battle below. She was told that she was to watch for the many Nevermores that had appeared around the city, but she had a sneaking suspicion he thought she was unready for war. That infuriated her. Here she was, one of the star pupils of the Atlesian Military Academy, rivalled only by Winter Schnee herself, with an entire dreadnaught full of her own personal battalion of new model Atlesian Knights of her own design, two teams of hunters her forces were training as part of their mission, and one of Atlas' new secret weapons, and she was stuck on patrol duty. The general grit her teeth and sighed. "Any sign of Nevermores?"

"Not yet, ma'am." One of her subordinates reported. "Skies seem fairly clear and... hold on, ma'am, we've got five large dustplanes on radar approaching the city."

"Hail those ships." Julia commanded. "This is a potentially hostile airspace, it's too dangerous for them."

"Yes ma'am." The communications officer replied. "General, they're not responding."

"Hail them again." The general ordered. Something wasn't right here, at least one of those ships should have replied by this point.

"Still nothing." The officer responded. "Wait, ma'am, we're being hailed by another craft, looks to be a small transporter, _Serenity _model."

"On screen." Julia commanded.

A static filled screen descended from the ceiling of the bridge of _The Rubicon. _The second the screen descended, the static cleared and an all too familiar face appeared on it. _"Dreadnaught _Rubicon_, this is Maria Gaia of Beacon Academy and – Julia? This is your ship."_

"Good to see you too, little sister." Julia said, pinching the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. "I really hope this isn't a social call, I have more important things to worry about right now."

"_I don't know what you're busy with, but I'll make this quick." _Maria said. _"The ships flying towards Vale are actively hostile, you have to bring them down before they reach the city."_

"What?" Julia demanded. "What do you mean, hostile?"

"_Each one of those crafts is loaded with monsters from the Abyss." _Maria explained.

Julia's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?" That knowledge was classified, how could her sister possibly know information reserved for the higher ups of Atlas?

"_I have no time to explain, just know that my professor took my team on a mission there and we found a plot to attack the city." _Maria said. _"There's no time to explain, but you can't let those ships land, Vale is in grave danger if they do."_

Julia grit her teeth in frustration. If Maria was wrong about those ships, her career as a general, as a soldier, was over. She'd be court marshalled if she was lucky or arrested if she wasn't. Then again, she had known Maria since the day her little sister was born and while the two of them clashed often, she had never known her sister to be a liar. Maria looked like she was about to speak again, but a loud crash on her end of the call as Julia's view on the screen became that of the ceiling of the ship her sister flew on signalled that she had dropped her scroll. "Maria? What's going on over there?" Julia demanded.

She watched as Maria picked up her scroll, the view becoming one of her face again. _"My ship is under attack by Nevermores, I need to go!"_

"Maria, wait!" Julia yelled. It was too late as Maria closed the call. Julia was about to order the call to be reconnected, but was interrupted.

"General Gaia," An officer piped up. "The dustplanes are getting closer, four of them are coming in for a landing."

The general growled. "Ready forward batteries and target those ships."

"General?"

"If what my sister is saying is true then we're making a huge mistake letting those ships land."

"General Gaia, the last ship isn't stopping."

"What?"

"The fifth dustplane is still flying on course, it's heading for the city."

Jullia narrowed her eyes out the window of the bridge at the enemy ship. "Run a full scan of that ship."

"Yes ma'am." An officer replied. "Scans are showing that ship is nearly empty, there's one heat signature aboard."

The general's eyes widened. "Open fire! Bring that ship down now!"

All canons on _The Rubicon _turned to target the approaching ship, the combined strength of the canons was staggering as all of them let loose a barrage of blasts. High powered shells and huge dust blasts slammed into the dustplane, but still it didn't stop.

Julia grit her teeth. "Fire the main battery!" Julia ordered.

At Julia's command, a huge blast of fire dust was launched from _The Rubicon, _the blast hit exploded on contact with the dustplane, instantly burning off the front of the ship, but it still didn't stop.

Eyes wide in fear, Julia slammed a fist down on the PA system button on her chair. "All hands brace for impact!"

A second later, _The Rubicon _shook and pitched as the remains of the dustplane slammed into it. Despite bracing for impact, Julia was thrown from her chair by the impact, several officers also being thrown to the floor. The general clawed her way back to her feet, using the arm of her chair as support. "Damage report!" She demanded.

"Ma'am, armour along the bow has buckled, weapons have been disabled, we're losing power from a damaged fuel line. We're losing altitude and quickly."

Julia growled in frustration. "Set us down in the city, get me a report on our troop strength and assemble those hunter teams onboard. I'll be leading an assault on the enemy myself."

"Ma'am, should we ready the Vanguard project?"

"Have it on standby for now, if I need it, I'll call for it." Julia ordered. "For now, worry about landing this ship!"

oxoxoxo

The _Serenity _ducked and rolled as it attempted to shake the Nevermore hunting it. Thatch grit his teeth as he pulled back on the wheel, the ship pulling up, the colossal raven soaring beneath the ship. It was too early to celebrate, however, as the bird came back around for another attack. Seeing the pattern it was flying in, Thatch had a pretty good idea what it was planning. "Brace yourselves, it's going to attack again!" He roared.

The call would have been all for naught as the Nevermore made its move. The raven pulled up from a frontal charge, soaring above the ship. Thatch tried to pull the ship out from its path, but a hail of feathers like spears rained down on the ship, one lodging itself in the starboard engine.

Thatch let out a noise of anger as the engine coughed and gave out, the swordsman diverting power form the portside engine to the stern as he tried to keep them in the air. It was a losing battle as the _Serenity _began to lose altitude. "This is your pilot speaking, we're experiencing some technical difficulties so if you could all fasten your seatbelts, that would be much appreciated." The renegade said into the ship's PA as he desperately pulled up on the wheel.

It seemed like only a second later that Maria burst into the cockpit. "What happened?" She demanded.

"Your seatbelt isn't fastened." Thatch remarked, eyes fixed on the controls.

The centurion stormed into the cockpit and took her seat in the co-pilot's chair, pulling her belt on. "What happened?" she asked again.

"The Nevermore hit us in the starboard engine, it's too damaged to keep running and if I keep the other engine running then we start rolling, the last engine in the back is giving me just enough power to choose where this thing crashes. Too bad, always wanted a classic like this."

"How are you so calm?!" She screamed.

"I am desperately trying not to freak out, and if I hold this wheel any tighter, it's going to be crushed."

The ship was just a step above a dive, rapidly losing altitude, but still managing to propel itself. As the craft neared a building on the outskirts of Vale, Thatch gave one last call over the ship's PA: "All hands, brace for impact!"

The second Thatch spoke, the _Serenity _ploughed through the front of the building, the brick structure doing nothing to stop the juggernaut like ship as it blew through the building. Thatch and Maria could see nothing as the building was smashed to pieces around them, both of them screwing their eyes shut as they waited for the ship or their lives to come to a stop.

In the end, it was the ship that stopped first, the craft slamming through one more wall before grinding to a halt. Maria carefully opened one eye, and upon seeing she was still alive the other soon followed, the centurion undoing her seatbelt and making a jump for the PA. "All hands, report now!"

"_This is Francois, La Serpente and the Axman are alive and unharmed, as am I."_

"_Ben here, Alison was tossed about, but it looks like she'll live. Where are we?"_

"Outskirts of Vale." Maria reported. "As for the building we're in," She said, casting her eyes about for any sign of what this building was. The toppled shelves, the power tools across the floors and the half destroyed sign that still hung at the back of the store gave the place's identity away fairly quickly. "Spruce's Hardware Store." Maria read. "Now's not the time for shopping though. All hands meet outside the ship. This is going to get a lot worse before it gets better."


	21. Chapter 18: Impact II

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 18**

**oxoxoxo**

Team EMAD, Ben, Taipan, and the Axman exited the hardware store and watched, petrified, waves of cold fear running over them. The walking corpses lumbered out of the innumerable boxes in an orderly fashion, only to mass together in a giant conglomerate of rotting bodies. The horde sensed their presence, moving as one in on the group. "There's...there's so many." Maria stammered, staring out at the oncoming horde.

"Yeah," Thatch gulped, "you're damn right about that."

"Come now, _camarades_, surely we have come back from worse than this on our time here. This, this is only a bump on our path." Francois chimed.

Thatch gave the nobleman a flat look. "Noble Boy, this is a pitfall if I've ever seen one." He retorted.

**(Author's Note: Music begins here. Song: Metal Machine by Sabaton)**

"You guys can sit back all you want, complain, and wait to become their next meal," the Axman interjected, the group finding him ahead and revving the engine of a chainsaw, "As for me, I'm not going down without a fight!"

With that, the Axman charged headlong into the fray of Inferri. He swung the chainsaw in a semi-circular, horizontal fashion, slicing every undead being unfortunate enough to be in his path, cutting numerous Inferri in half along the way. Clearing his path along, the man was caked in gore, his manic smile never leaving his blood and viscera-drenched face. Now a good distance in, the axe man spun a full circle, parting every corpse walking on him in half across the chest, giving himself a good couple yards of breathing room. The man stood amidst the horde, his path he had opened now closed and his circle growing ever-smaller, his chainsaw engine running idly before him. His smile had only grown larger at the look of the situation, bobbing his head back as he said, "Groovy."

Team EMAD and Ben were struck dumb for a moment as Thatch voiced the question on all their minds: "Where and when did he get that thing?"

"I think we crashed into it." Ben supplied.

The first Inferri to reach him from the front took a wild swipe at his face, the Axman folding himself back and running his chainsaw, parting the Inferri directly behind him in two from head to crotch. The maniac flung himself forward and instantly split the ahead of the assaulting Inferri in two, a geyser of blood spewing up from between the halves of skull. Spinning in a circle once more, the Axman cut the skulls of easily a dozen or more undead in half from temple to temple, their corpse flopping and giving him a shin-high barrier of little use. Not satisfied, he charged at the first Inferri to meet his gaze and ran it through the stomach, lifting it into the air and letting the blades run as the ghoul convulsed and spouted buckets of crimson down onto him. Seeing his left flank was collapsing, axe man turned on his heel and flung the still-living body at the advancing monsters, a trio of bodies joining the sailing one on the ground after a bone-jarring thud. "Come on, let's keep the party going, fellas!"

'_Good,' _The voice in his head encouraged. _'Keep it up. Slaughter them! Let the streets run red!'_

Axman, happily obliging, leapt forward, spinning and slicing through another Inferri, splitting it from shoulder to the opposite hip. Falling to a knee, he instinctively let his swing follow through, the chainsaw flying up behind him and lopping another corpse's head in half diagonally. He swung his meat-cutter back and across the knees of one in front of him, amputating its legs on the spot. The vigilante shot up to his feet and shot his leg forward and foot into its chest, sending the body flying back and taking out more of its undead comrades. He leaped an inhuman distance and crushed the heads of two pinned Inferri under his feet, bringing his chainsaw up high and delving it through nose and forehead of the middle one he had taken the legs of. He whipped his weapon back under his legs, slicing the corpse the whole way as it went under his crotch, and slung the weapon underneath his legs, doubled over as the running blade dug through the groin of one sneaking up behind him. The Axman laughed in delight, looking back under himself, nearly rolling into a ball, and shouting, "Now that's what I call a close shave!"

He freed his weapon, intestines instantly exiting the wound and tripping the Inferri up in its own guts as he swung it upwards before him, splitting the face and skull of another before him from jaw to the crown of its skull. Stepping back and crushing the downed Inferri's skull, the axe man slipped in the gore and flopped to his back, his chainsaw falling onto him and nearly mauling his face had his arms not regained their rigidity, stopping it mere centimeters from his face. Closer to being overwhelmed than ever, the Axman threw his chainsaw like a tomahawk, the weapon spiraling through the air and chopping through the forehead of the nearest ghoul before him, rearing back on his shoulders and kicking up to his feet before ripping his weapon free. Axman desperately began ripping on the cord, trying to start the weapon to life as he spun around, assessing his situation. His enthrallment with the fight had kept him blind to the rumbling of the ground, his attention no longer able to ignore it as Inferri began to fly through the air. He ceased trying to restart his most necessary of weapons at the time, letting it hang limp at his side as he watched the bodies fall like ragdolls from the air. Beyond the rows of bodies, he could make out a massive, dark shape barreling ahead, the herd finally thinning enough to wear he could make out the behemoth fully. "Oh, this is gonna hurt..."

The behemoth neared the Axman, the vigilante holding his meat-cutter horizontally before him as a shield as it brought back its massive paw and swung at him. The flat of the black knocked into his throat, making him cough and gasp for air, before the massive palm smacked his chest, nearly caving it in as he flew back like a bullet through the Inferri, his speed not even affected by plowing through dozens of rotting bodies. He sailed past the vanguard of the horde, tumbling to a stop before the feet of the group. "What happened to him?!" Ben inquired.

"Is he bitten?" Alison asked.

"We don't have time now. We have to push them back and give ourselves a little breathing room." Maria ordered, aiming her shield ahead with the barrels appearing behind the boss spinning rapidly.

Maria unleashed a slew of dust rounds, making mulch of the Inferri in its aim. The rest joined in too, Thatch doubling Maria's fire rate with his swords' hidden guns, Francois and Micca picking one at a time off with the precision of their rifles, Alison blasting many back at a time with alternating hits of the lighting of her jian and dust from her zhua, and Ben blowing them to bits with the expanding round of his light machine gun. The deafening cavalcade of gunfire was soon rivaled by the growing rattle of the ground itself, corpses sailing through the air as the behemoth once more made its presence known, all but a reloading Ben firing on it. The gunfire did little except to slow it down, char, and ignite it, the beast roaring in guttural fury. The beast's abdomen suddenly bulged to a grotesque circular shape, its skin slowly tearing before the beast upper half flopped back and lower remnants forward. The gunfire ceased instantly, all looking at the smoking gun Ben held in one outstretched arm, smirking as he uttered, "Play ball."

The barrel of Ben's gun lengthened and flattened, forming the blade of his massive sword as the tripods slid down and formed the large guards perpendicular to the handle. The blade gave off a white aura, the intense heat reaching even Micca on the other side of the group. He charged ahead of the group, raising his sword overhead in both hands in an inverted grip, lunging and somersaulting ahead at the downed but living behemoth. The soldier jammed the blade down through the bellowing beast's open mouth, the sound of sizzling flesh resonating from the now lifeless corpse, the sword going clean through the thick muscle condense around the back of the behemoth's head. Ben held himself perfectly straight up, completing his front flip and freeing his blade as the rest of the group charged ahead after him, a woozy axe man sitting up and wheezing for air.

Ben cleared a large path of destruction for his comrades, swooping his massive blade from left to right in the corresponding hand, slicing through flesh and bone as if they were butter. "I'll cut my way further into this mess and work my way out. You guys keep this side under control and we should be halfway done with this in no time!" Ben ordered.

The group slowed down and watched as Ben waded his way into the horde, cutting swaths through the ranks before the path to him slowly shut, Maria catching one last glance from him as he turned back with a reassuring smile and a wink. Nodding to herself and turning to the group, Maria had to shout to be heard over the sounds of moans all around them, "Alright, form up two lines, back-to-back! We'll push off in opposite directions, kill them by any means necessary, and stay safe!"

"You do not have to tell us twice, _mademoiselle, _we still have a festival to make a name for ourselves in!" Francois cheered.

"Oh, how I wish I could be that oblivious." Thatch murmured.

The group quickly followed the centurion's orders, Maria, Micca, and Francois forming one line while Alison and Thatch press up to their backs. "You people are insane, has anyone ever told you that? Or that this won't work?!" Micca complained.

"If you want to become lunch for a group of mangy corpses, be my guest. Otherwise, I suggest you fight with everything you've got." Maria rebutted.

"Touche."

The group waited, weapons at the ready, as the Inferri pushed down on them from both sides. Maria made the first move, unleashing a hail of bullets into the chest of the undead man in front of her, one stray bullet catching his forehead and sending him flopping back. The gap allowed her to thrust her short sword over her shield and into the gap between the eyes of the next Inferri, the centurion then bashing it off her blade. Micca, not wanting to be so close to her former enemies, brought her axe over her shoulder and wheeled the blade down on the head of a ghoul, dropping it to its knees as she used it as a vault to catapult herself further into ranks of the undead. "Sorry, I work best when I'm alone!"

Micca came crashing axe-first down on another Inferri, splitting it from head to chest in one swing. She pulled her axe straight back, freeing it with a sickening squelch and ramming the blunt tip of her shaft through the stomach of an Inferri closing in behind her. The Taipan freed her weapon once more with a jerk and aimed it over her shoulder, firing the hidden rifle and obliterating the top of an Inferri's skull. The blade kicked forward and dug a straight line through the face of a lumbering ghoul, dropping it prone in an instant. She trained her sights ahead before her axe and fired, the bullet coring through the heads of a straight line of a half dozen Inferri. One stumbled into her with a swipe, the snake folding herself backwards and letting off a backhanded swing as she did so, slamming her axe through the eyes and frontal lobes of a trio of Inferri behind her. She sprung back upright, choking up on the axe's shaft in an instant, and slammed the blade into the temple of the one who attempted to hit her.

Kicking the body free from her axe, Micca fired her axe parallel to the ground before her, taking out another line of Inferri beside her and letting the recoil swing her axe around and through the skulls of a line of Inferri surrounding her. The snake increased the momentum of her axe and dropped to her knees, letting the weapon spin like a propeller above her as she let her finger slam madly on the trigger, increasing its speed and randomly taking out nearby Inferri from time to time. The spinning axe attracted the Inferri to it like moths to a flame, paying no attention to the master beneath it. Unable to realize what they were doing, the Inferri were reduced to pulp as they neared, the axe spinning at a blinding pace in her fast-working hands. Arms were severed, chests were caved in, and heads were mulched as they carelessly stuck their bodies in, blanketing Taipan in their gory contents. "Ugh, this is so gross! I'll need to shower a week to get this off of me."

Her musings were cut short as a slimy, writhing object wrapped around her neck, tightening like a vise and leaving her unable to let a single breath escape her throat. Her hands left her axe, the weapon losing its momentum and crashing onto her stomach as she tried to get her hands between the tendril choking the life from her and her neck. Slowly, she was dragged backwards, falling and further adding tension on her already entangled neck. Tears streamed down her face as her pale face slowly turned purple, Inferri getting on their hands and knees, grimy fingers grasping her clothing and bare skin._ This is it. Goodbye, little sister_, she thought, a tear escaping her eye as she shut them, not wanting to see what happened to her.

Just as the assurance of death was certain, her ears were met with gunfire, followed by the dull thud of bullets ricocheting through skulls and brain matter and blood caking her. Her eyes flung open to see a none-too-pleased Maria standing over her, shield turret still spiraling and smoking as she slashed at the tentacle around her neck. Before the main body of the appendage could retract, Maria gripped it tightly in a quick whip of her hand, ripping the being forward responsible for nearly killing the snake. What flew through the air could best be described as pitifully horrific. A man, his flesh pitch black, in tattered cargo shorts and shirt, body covered in boils with a massive, bowling ball-sized growth on his throat, spikes radiating from his forearms, shoulders, down his spine, and knees. Most disgusting of all was the tendril was none other than his tongue, his jaw unhinging like as serpent to accommodate its exit. As it soared at Maria, she thrust her sword forward, blade digging through its mouth and out the back of its skull, the being falling to its knees and arching back, limp and lifeless. A horrified Micca uncurled and threw the flesh scarf aside, gasping for air as Maria stared down at her in pure anger. "Next time I tell you to do something, you do it. Got it?"

The snake feebly nodded, the original colour of her face slowly returning to her once more as glorious oxygen returned to her lungs. Maria extended her hand and pulled the snake to her feet. The centurion suddenly shoved Micca aside with a swipe of her shield, nearly knocking her down once more as she stabbed her sword up through the chin of a wide-eyed Inferri, the blade punching through the top of its skull. Separated and now finding themselves surrounded, Maria and Micca got back to back as the legions now encircled them. The back of the skull of one in front suddenly opened up, a hunk of bone flipping to the ground, dropping to reveal Francois looking down the barrel of his smoking carbine, smiling as he said, "Need a hand, _mademoiselles_?"

**(New Music: Far Far Away by Battle Beast)**

Francois charged ahead with a cry, rifling swinging before him before bringing it under his arm and ramming the bayonet through the back of the nearest ghoul's neck, blade poking out through its haggard throat and stifling its hissing. Francois put it out of its misery with a dust round through the back of its skull and out its eyes socket, popping the left eyeball free. The stock and barrel suddenly began to peel back from the bayonet, forming a guard and cup hilt with a long, needle-like blade radiating from it. Francois kicked the corpse free of his sword and advanced towards the nearest turning Inferri. Measuring his steps, the noble stepped in and delivered a side kick into the knee of the Inferri, forcing it down on a knee with a sickening crunch and snap. Francois stepped onto its knee like a stair, planting the point of his boot into its chin as he followed through the momentum with a backflip, rocketing the undead into the air. Once regaining his footing, Francois shot his foot up high to his side and thrust his sword in the opposite direction, impaling one Inferri through the empty space where its nose should be while another was caught in the side of the chin from his kick, forcing its head hard to the right with a harsh snap.

Francois regained his vertical basis and had to bend himself over to avoid the embrace of an Inferri, executing a somersault that caught the Inferri in the top of the skull with the heel of his boots. The Inferri was forced to the ground under the pressing of the noble, its head crushed under his feet like an eggshell. Frozen in place, Francois held his sword straight up before him, the airborne Inferri falling chin-first onto the point and shish kabobing its skull down to the hilt on the blade. With a flick of his wrist, Francois retracted his sword from the corpse and inverted his grip on it, swinging it back under his arm and up between the eyes of another ghoul closing in on him. Francois then got a glimpse of Maria being forced to a knee by the circle of the undead pressing down on her shield, Taipan barely keeping another at pay with the shaft of her axe, the ghoul snapping its jaws inches closer and closer to her face each time. Francois looked over his shoulder to Alison and Thatch, finding they had been holding their line spectacularly with blasts of lightning, elemental dust, and Thatch's bullets. "Thatch, Alison, we're a bit overwhelmed at the moment!" he shouted before charging headlong into the Inferri around his friends, running his blade through the skulls of three Inferri in one thrust.

Alison and Thatch turned to find their friends in dire straits. Looking at each other and nodding, sprinting to their comrades as Alison unleashed a thunderbolt that decimated a line of Inferri before Maria while Thatch blasted away at the ones assaulting Taipan. Alison sheathed her sword and extended her now-free hand to Thatch, the renegade taking it as Alison slammed the ball of her zhua into the ground, using it to vault into the air and hurled Thatch with all her might. Thatch turned himself upside down, head and arms pointing to the ground as he spiraled through the air, raining hellfire down on the Inferri below. Alison came down from her vault by cracking the clawed hand of _Pianji_ over the crown of an undead skull, doubling it over and caving it in before swinging the ball end upwards, gouging a straight, semi-circular line through its face. The artist spun her weapon around in one full revolution beside her, dropping down into the splits and slamming the hand down simultaneously, a pulse of red energy radiating up from the ground throwing every inferri in the immediate area a few feet into the air, crashing helplessly and flailing to their backs. "Maria, now!" Alison shouted, louder than she ever had in her whole quiet life.

Sensing her plan, Maria fell to her knees and held her shield over her head, Alison springing to her feet and leaping onto the armor. Purple energy pulsed away from the point of contact as Alison hunkered down and sprung into the air, passing by Thatch as she flew ever higher. Her ascent slowed evermore, finally reaching its zenith before she began to plummet, tucking into a ball and front flipping through the air. As she neared the air, Alison extended her zhua out, a red glow overtaking the hand, and slammed it into the earth upon contact in a sit-out position, the same instant the Inferri landed as well. A massive blast of red overtook the area, basking all in the red hue but breaking the corpses, living and dead, to nothing while the remnants of those with what little aura they had held strong. Alison rose to her feet, holding her zhua over her shoulder, staring at the ground before her friends sheepishly while her comrades looked on her with awe, Thatch's shouting steadily growing louder until he slammed into the earth rump-first. He immediately threw himself to the ground, rubbing his seat and writhing in pain, moaning, "Oh, I think I broke my arse!"

"Get up, Thatch," Maria insisted sternly, looking around at the great amount space they had but soon watched it shrink under more advancing Inferri, "we're not done yet."

Ben charged further into the heart of the horde, slicing his way further and further, trying desperately to get some bearing of where he was. Finally, he reached a clearing amidst the forest of the undead, looking in all direction for any indication of where he was. A sudden rush of air beat down on him, the soldier stopping in his tracks to look up and find an airship hovering above, a large, metal crate dangling beneath it. The box creaked and moaned until it was cut free, plummeting to the ground and straight for Ben. The colossal soldier dove to safety, tucking and rolling to a knee, looking back to watch the crate crash and flatted numerous Inferri beneath it. Ben tentatively got to his feet, converting his sword to its gun form at taking aim at the box. The massive crate creaked open, the massive lid crashing to the ground to reveal a black void inside, save for numerous pairs of blood red eyes. One face poked through the darkness and into the light, revealing one with nothing but a jagged skull for a face, eyes a haunting crimson, erratic, spiked hair pointing back from the top of its skull. It stepped further into the light, as if confused, and revealed its dark being, snow-white talons on its fingers and toes, teeth numerous and needle-like. The beast's eyes dilated in the light, soon joined by the rest of its nine other comrades. "Oh, great," Ben thought aloud, "Lurkers. And they hate light."

Just as the words left his mouth, the front lurker leaned in and let out a ferocious roar, thick, viscous fluid flying out of its maw while the other had it running in streams from their jowls. The pack charged at Ben, the soldier once more regaining his zweihander and held it like a bat beside him. The first lurker lunged for Ben with outstretched claws, the soldier, ducking the blow and letting the Inferri sail over his head. Ben quickly sprung back upright, thrusting his sword up and through the chin and out the top of the next lurker's skull. Not relenting, he wheeled the limp corpse through the air with his superheated sword, bending himself over backwards as he rammed the tip through the top of the skull of the unsuccessful lurker behind him, the corpses stack head-to-head as the sword acted as a pole for him to hold himself up. Ben slid his sword free as he regained his balance, finding himself completely encircled by the remaining lurkers. "Awful smart for a bunch of rotting freaks." Ben muttered.

The beasts stormed on Ben, leaping onto him one at a time and digging their claws into his flesh, enraging the soldier as he extended his arms and roared, throwing the Inferri in every direction. Ben bounded over to the nearest prone lurker, driving his zweihander through its skull and into the ground. Feeling another presence, Ben flung himself forward, spiraling around the sword with his grip tight on the handle, perfectly straight with legs outstretched. He swung back around and planted both boots into the side of a lurker's head, nearly caving its skull in as it sailed into the crowd of encroaching Inferri. Ben freed his sword and turned on a dime, stabbing his sword down on a charging lurker. The beast juked back and narrowly avoided the blow as the sword imbedded itself in the ground, lunging in once more and digging its claws of one hand into Ben's stomach, doubling the soldier over. The Inferri retracted its hand as a pair dove at him, claws scraping through his coat and clawing his chest. Ben flew back with his assailants hooked into his flesh, crashing onto his back and rolling over, finding himself pinning his foes under his knees. His massive paws clamped down onto the sides of their heads, slamming them into another with such force their heads exploded like watermelons. Ben got to his feet to find another lurker bounding at him and striking, the soldier bringing his fist back and throwing it into the beast's face. The Inferri's body sailed out from under it, Ben's fist encompassing its whole face until he seized it in his massive palm and slammed it down into the ground, splintering its skull between his immense strength and the hard concrete. Ben released the corpse, barely catching his breath before looking up to find the remaining lurkers advancing in on him, hunched over and skipping at him like chimps. "Come on, you undead freaks, let's go!"

The lead lurker leapt into the air, spiraling around as it threw its claws down on Ben. The soldier jumped back out of harm's way, the blow ending with the beast's hand digging through the cement and lodging into the ground. The lurker tried madly to pry itself free, throwing itself back madly in order to free itself. Its hopes of freedom were extinguished with a diagonal swing of Ben's blade, the top half of its skull sliding down its and plopping to the ground on its flat side, body still trapped in a seated position. Ben found yet another one closing in, spinning at it and swing up at it, parting its face, frontal bone and lobe in one swing, taking it off its feet and letting it flop to its back, advancing on as the severed half landed perfectly back on where it once lie. Ben readied his sword and swung it as one more sprung at him, missing it by the narrowest of margins as it sailed on, claws digging through his abdomen. Ben would have been doubled over had he not been clawed over the shoulder blades and upper back by the other lurker, making him rear back and shout in pain and anger. The ghouls sprinted at Ben in tandem once more, striking with claws outstretched, the one passing behind him slicing through both his thighs. Enraged from the pain, Ben shot his knee up and caught the next Inferri beneath the chin, shooting it up into the air before him.

Ben brought his sword back and let his swing fly, parting the ghoul's skull in two at the jaw. Ben turned to find the last lurker coming for his throat, swinging at the lurker in the same instant. The two passed one another, Ben doubling over with four deep rakes in the side of his neck, the lurker rearing back as blood gushed from a deep slash across its chest. Sensing an opening, Ben used one last surge of adrenaline to charge at the Inferri, spinning and taking the Inferri off its feet with a heel kick. The lurker flipped through the air sideways, Ben reversing the direction of his spin with his sword outstretched. As the Inferri's head aimed towards the ground, the blade parted its head from its shoulders, its body cartwheeling on as Ben grabbed the head in his free hand, spiking it into the ground and shattering it like glass. He instantly succumbed to his wounds, falling to his knees and looking around through half-open eyes, teeth gnashing, to find the Inferri nearly on him. "Alright, who's next!?" Ben shouted, rearing back and shutting his eyes.

His question was met with a familiar rumbling pattern in the ground, a harsh smack echoing through his ears, looking to find the empty crate flying at him. Been used his sword as a crutch and mustered all his strength to push himself to his feet, hefting his sword before heaving it forward, parting the box in two spiraling halves that carried on and took a crowd of Inferri behind him. Ben looked on as a behemoth barreled ahead at him. "You can't make it too easy, can you?"

Ben brought his sword back once more, he and the behemoth swinging at each other as one. Ben was fortunate enough to be quicker and better armed, the burning blade cutting through the gap between the beast's thumb and forefinger and slicing clean through to the opposite end of its wrist. The behemoth's arm sailed on and wrapped around its chest and shoulder, sacrificing its ability to stand to strike him with an uppercut. The spikes on its knuckles dug him open in three deep gashes from stomach to chest, rocketing him into the air as he clung to consciousness, blood filling his mouth thanks to his busted chest cavity. The behemoth tumbled to its chest, bellowing in fury as it was unable to rise. With his last ounce of strength, Ben transformed his zweihander into a LMG one last time, looking down the sight and firing straight at the beast's head, and making its head explode outward on impact with the specialized round. Ben sailed back through the air, crashing onto his back and rolling over his shoulder, lying prone on his stomach and unable to rise. He could feel them moving in on him, blood pouring out from his smirking mouth as he whispered, "I hope you choke on me."

"Oh my, God, Ben!" a familiar feminine voice said.

"Maria? Never thought I'd be so glad to hear that voice again." he laughed.

Ben could hear a hail of gunfire as Team EMAD and their new allies stormed the hordes surrounding him, bullets and dust blasts flying all around him as the encroaching horde began to thin. The soldier was rolled over onto his back, shoulders and head resting on Maria's lap. He could see the fear in the faces of all his friends, and Micca, looking down on him. "What happened?!" The centurion demanded.

"Lurkers and a behemoth. If you don't know yet, I'll explain if we get out of this..."

"_When_ we get out of this." Maria insisted

Ben only smiled in response, pointing to the sky and saying, "You might prove me wrong. Look. That's an Atlas aircraft."

The group turned their eyes to the sky, find a Bullhead aircraft with a large Atlas symbol showing on the side.

**(New Music: Hey I Don't Know by Kongos)**

The door to the aircraft flew open, four people standing straight in attention to a familiar woman in chainmail and a red cape, arms folded behind her back. "Alright, this is exactly what we've been training for. Granted, it was Grimm but this is still a good exercise for you to learn from." Julia declared.

A teen with black hair and blue eyes raised his white, garbed in an unzipped, gray jacket with a simple black t-shirt beneath and worn jeans beneath, his gauntlet shrouded hand raised high in the air. "Yes, Private Onyx?"

"What's the protocol for this? Are we breaking up a riot? Detaining as many as possible before the crowd dissipates? Incapacitating force?"

Julia let a smirk slip and a chuckle as well, replying, "Do you smell that in the air, privates? That is the smell of death and decay, which is exactly what those things are. They are every bit as big of a threat as Grimm. Now, does that answer your question?"

"Uh, yes, ma'am, lethal force." The young boy replied.

"Good. Now, until I can bring the legion to the field, would you care to open up the battlefield for us, Private Onyx?" The general remarked.

"With pleasure." he replied, turning and diving out of the open aircraft.

Onyx plummeted to the ground below, body held in a t-shape as his eyes were shut, wind whipping his hair about. Suddenly, Onyx whipped himself through a gainer, a white, metal gauntlet on his arm brought back with the revolver inside it rotating to a green crystal. Onyx slammed into the earth with his fist, the ground beneath him rippling out like waves in water and sending Inferri in all directions for several yards flying. Onyx slowly rose to his feet, observing the surrounding as the rest of his team landed beside him, a brown-skinned, purple-haired girl looking at Onyx with curious green eyes, saying, "Hope the fall didn't take too much out of you. Wouldn't want to take the high score from you again."

Onyx cracked a smile, rebutting, "Violet, if you take out more of these things than I do, I'll personally wash the bloodstains out of our clothes for however long it takes."

"I'll take that bet." the woman accepted with a smirk, a pair of lengthy weighted chains dropping from a pair of bracers on her wrists and hitting the ground with a metallic crunch.

The man clad in a golden suit beside the conspiring duo rolled, arms crossed and his eyes rolling as he muttered, "Of all the people to be stuck with in a situation like this..."

"Can it, Julius. They're just making the best of a bad situation." the towering man clad in red and black, his eyes and hair a crimson shade, said.

"Whatever you say, Alex. Now, if you don't mind, let's get this over with quickly. I don't want this suit to have a spot on it."

"As you wish, master. Don't be afraid to pull a little of your own weight this time."

"Yeah, yeah."

Violet's chains, once limp and lifeless, rose up like living, metal serpents beside her, one topped with a red, glowing light while the other was basked in blue, her arms still resting at her side. They lowered themselves to her waist-level. "Care to try to take an early lead?" she asked.

"I'd love to." Onyx replied, taking a chain in each hand.

The chains spun back around Violet abruptly, jerking Onyx from the ground and taking him for a ride. Coming towards the front of Violet, Onyx released his grip and catapulted towards the Inferri, his cocked, gauntleted arm basking in a red aura until her laid into the first Inferri with a right hook. An explosive blast left the unlucky ghoul a pile of pulp while the rest of the Inferri in the area were blown to smithereens. Onyx rose to his feet and quickly spun to a charging behemoth, the beast bellowing and charging ahead, crushing and throwing several Inferri around on its path of destruction. Onyx, his face calm and ready, waited as the revolving mechanism in his right gauntlet went to work, a green crystal being readied behind its barrel. Onyx dropped down and slammed his fist into the earth, a network of cracks running straight to the rampaging Inferri and, several feet before it, unleashed a cluster of long, cone-shaped spikes. The Inferri ran itself through the stone stakes, impaling itself through its stomach, chest, arms, both eyes, and the fatal one driving through its mouth and out the back of its massive, muscle-coated back engulfing the back of its head. Still knelt down and observing his surroundings, Onyx found his open space shrinking on all fronts. Remaining unfazed, the man placed both palms against the ground, giving off an intense, green glow from his gauntlets as he suddenly shot up into the air atop a column of stone. Rising higher than many buildings around him, looking down on the massive army of the undead beneath him. "Well," he blandly stated, "this is gonna take longer than I thought."

Watching from the ground, his teammates looked on with concern at the new structure erected in Vale. "That's not a good sign, is it?" Julius asked, twirling his cane rapidly in his fingers.

"It can't be, his semblance should help him no matter how many of those things are around him. Maybe there are just too many for him." Alex pondered, draping his arms over the red, metal staff over his shoulders.

"Well, let's give him a hand then, ladies." Violet suggested, sprinting ahead of the group with her chains following her like ribbons.

Violet battered her way into the horde, at first jabbing her chains ahead with precision. Blizzard impaled the undead through the pelvic region, instantly freezing them, the now unstable ghouls collapsing in on themselves like demolished buildings. Inferno went straight for the chest, hitting center mass and causing the Inferri's extremities to blow off in all directions. Wading further and further into the sea of death, Violet had to whip her arms and chains around in diagonal swoops to take out several Inferri at a time, bodies shattering into a pile of ice or exploding at each swinging interval.

Following the chain-bearer, Alex had a simpler goal, blasting the head off of every Inferri lucky enough to escape the clutches of the enchanted chains with his long, red pistols. His lack of attention to his surroundings, however, let the Inferri creep onto his sides and up to his back, only taking notice as he felt a tug on the bottom of his shirt. Alex turned on his heel, guns raised and ready to fire at the horde closing in on him. Knowing he could not shoot them all, Alex flipped the guns around, barrels facing towards him, and slammed them together. The metal pole in his hands extended a few more feet, forming a rather simple metal staff. However, he spent too much time focusing on his weapon when an Inferri stumbled in and swiped him across the face. Alex lurched to his side, twisting back to face the Inferri that had smacked him with three horizontal gashes in his cheek, his red eyes growing murky and overtaking the white of his sclera as the wounds slowly closed themselves under the red glow of his aura. Alex brought his fist back and hurled it into the Inferri's rotting head, his entire arm flying through the ghoul's skull and carving a perfect circle through it with his punch, its face a featureless void from eyebrows to its chin. Alex slung the corpse aside, no sooner letting it hit the ground than did he spin around and swing his staff simultaneously like a bat, taking the heads off of three Inferri in one swoop. "Let's go!"

Alex's cry was met with more Inferri lumbering at him, the angered soul dropping down to a side plank position, pivoting on his elbow and sweeping the Inferri off their feet with his own. Alex continued his spin until his feet were on the opposite side of the Inferri assaulting him, dropping back on to his shoulders and rearing back onto them before kicking up to his feet and flipping back onto them. His feet crushed the skulls of two Inferri before he rammed his staff into the ground, driving it through the mouth and out the back of the last one's neck. Alex sprung for the nearest Inferri before him, propping his _Speech_ staff's end into the ground and vaulting over the ghoul. Alex twisted and somersaulted himself through the air, nailing the Inferri in the back of the head and rocketing it into the opposite end of the nearly non-existant circle he had stood in, taking a couple of Inferri down with it. As Alex descended to the ground, he raised _Speech_ high overhead and slammed into down over the skull of an Inferri looking up at him, driving a dent deep into its cranium as he kicked his legs into opposite ends of a split, cracking the jaws and twisting the heads of a pair of Inferri on either side of him. He used the corpse his staff was lodged in to cartwheel over to his back on the ground, swinging his stuff straight up as he landed into the chin of an Inferri towering over him, sending its head straight up into the air.

Acting fast, Alex propped himself up to a bent-over-backwards position, flipping himself back and kicking an Inferri before him under the chin with such force its head flung up high, too. Once landing at a vertical basis, Alex spun around and slammed the staff into the temple of a ghoul sneaking up on him, taking its head clean off its shoulders. The head, still hissing and growling, rocketed straight into the still-connected head of another Inferri, the skulls exploding on impact. Alex turned his attention behind himself once more, brandishing his staff over his shoulder before swinging it at one of the descending heads. The skull rocketed straight into the face of another Inferri, crumpling its skull and face in from upper lip to where its eyebrows sat, skull-borne shrapnel flying off and digging through the heads of a duo of Inferri on either side of it. Alex once more turned where his attention was lacking behind him, swinging at the other skull and sending to a gory explosion with another Inferri. Alex reared back, his body trembling with his staff held tight in his fist at his side, shrieking from the top of his lungs as the Inferri drew ever closer, "Who else wants some!?"

Having been abandoned to do as he wished, Julius merely crossed his arms, shook his head, and sighed, "Well, glad we're so good at coordinating our attacks as a team, guys."

Julius looked up to find an Inferri nearing him, hands outstretched and ready to tear into him. "Oh, no, what ever will I do?" Julius asked, still twisting his cane in and out of his fingers.

With a flick of his thumb, he loosened the grip of the sheathe over the blade of his cane's hidden sword, another fast revolution of his cane rocketed the sheathe straight into the Inferri's head. The bottom of the sheathe had imbedded itself in between the eyes of the ghoul, the rotting body dropping to its knees as a yellow object blurred past it, its head rocking back as a metallic slice hit the air. Julius stood beyond the corpse, sheathe held like a knife in one hand and his sword in the other head of him, the severed head of an Inferri floating above him as the corpse collapsed. Julius had to quickly brace himself as an Inferri clubbed him, the blow not even putting a nick in his sheathe held diagonally before him. Before the Inferri knew what hit it, Julius had thrust his sword through its eye and retracted it with a flick of his wrist seeming to have dropped the ghoul in an instant. The next Inferri to approach him was met with an overhead chop of his weighted sheathe, dazing the ghoul before the sword gouged through the bridge of his nose and cheeks, bisecting half of its brain in the process. Julius slid the sword out of the wound and observed his surroundings before him and out of the corner of his eyes. The Inferri were convening on him, the luxurious man only smiling as the uncovered ground around him was suddenly covered in red, circular glyphs. "That's it, just a little closer, you freaks." he whispered through his grin, clicking on a vial containing a red crystal on his sword's pommel.

Just as dozens of Inferri crowded over the glyphs and onto Julius, the ground erupted in a series of great explosions, blowing several Inferri apart and shooting many more up into the air. Julius readied his sword before him, arm wrapped over his chest, as the blade now basked in the middle of a great red flame. The heir leapt into the air, slicing and dicing in all directions in the Inferri-infested skies. Having lost his battle with gravity, Julius dropped down to the pavement on one knee, holding still as the mince meat that was once a small horde of Inferri plopped to the earth like grotesque rain. Julius rose to his feet, a confident smile on his face as he brushed off his shoulders and checked himself over, finding not a speck of gore or dust on his suit. His attention to detail cost him dearly as he was knocked upside the back of his head, no harm befalling his head but his aura, already weakened thanks to his excessive use of glyphs, shattered. The luxurious man flopped to his face, turning to find a roaring lurker before him. "Please, God, not the suit!" Julius pleaded, holding his hands up for defense and closing his eyes tight.

His prayer was seemingly answered as the Inferri's head exploded in an instant, elecricity randomly jumping over the body and making it twitch before it collapsed, more random spasms of electricity overtaking the body. Julius tentatively opened his eyes, curiousity peaking over his facade as he sat up and looked at the sparking corpse, muttering, "Uh...thanks..."

**(New Music: Twilight of the Thunder God by Amon Amarth)**

A man, his hair deep blue at the crown and gradually becoming lighter as it radiated down to the tip, kept his aim trained down the sight of his black and blue sniper rifle, working the bolt back and forth to loose a spent shell. Surrounding him were a trio of unique characters all their own: a black-haired man with wolf ears atop his head and a large, double-bladed battle axe over his shoulder, and another one with short, black hair and heterochromatic eyes, one orange and the other silver, held a jet black bastard sword at his side and his free hand propped on the pommel of a sheathed short sword on his opposite hip. A sole female stood amongst the men, her hair reddish brown and clad in a gray t-shirt with a black skirt, her most peculiar accessory being a pair of gloves that were connected to a pair of bracers, which were coated in dust vials, by a series of siphons per individual vial. "Alright," the sniper spoke up, "you guys do what you do best. I'll pick 'em off from up here."

"As you wish, fearless leader." the sword-wielder scoffed.

"Oh, will you two get a room." the witch cracked, pushing her way past the men.

The woman stood atop the edge of the building, one of the siphons drawing out blue dust as she trained the corresponding hand ahead of her, a stream of ice jutting out from the building and descending to the ground at a 45 degree angle. The woman set one foot on the slide and looked back at her comrades, saying, "Well, what are you ladies waiting for? Highest kill count gets all the glory and gloating that comes with it."

With that, the witch pushed herself down the ice with her other foot, rocketing down at the Inferri crowded around the bottom of the ice slide. "The chick's nuts." the wolf muttered to himself.

"You're telling me." the destroyer whispered in response.

"Will you two quit talking about Diana for a bit," the sniper suggested, drawing off as he blew the head off of another Inferri, "and actually help her for a change?"

The two men grumbled as they both walked to the building's edge and slid down the ice on their rumps, flying down at speeds far faster than what Diana had gone through.

Diana slide to the solid street, sprinting ahead with the momentum behind her. Once she waded in a decent way into the Inferri before stopping dead in her tracks with a skid, fist brought up ready before her. As the ghouls closed in, the siphon on her right fist began to draw from a green crystal, leaping back and flipping over the crowd of Inferri that once surrounded her and threw a cupped palm in their direction. Suddenly, the ground beneath the crowd gave way, inhaling all in its giant maw before Diana closed her hand into a tight fist, the pits closing in on itself like a trap jaw and crushing all of the undead within it to nothingness. The witch landed on her feet, fists raised ready for any foe around her, before she heard the terrified screams of her comrades behind her, turning just as her large-framed companions bowled straight through the wall of Inferri behind her, shattering legs and sending the ghouls flying in all directions before sliding to her feet and bounding up to a vertical basis. Diana immediately slapped her hand to her face, massaging her closed eyes with her fingers as she inquired, "How did we even make it this far?"

"Because, Diana," the wolf spoke up, the click of a button on the handle of his axe preceding a chilled fog wafting out of the vents on his axe, "they always underestimate us. Just like you are now."

"Fair enough, Noctus. Now, show Obsidian and I how you get things done." she replied.

Without hesitation, the wolf brought his axe before his face, blades pointed at the ground, and rammed it into the asphalt, a gust of blue haze flying out from the epicenter of the impact. Once it cleared, numerous Inferri on all sides were encased in thick ice, an impenetrable forest to the rest of the Inferri piling behind them. "Obsidian, if you'd be so kind?" Noctus requested.

"With pleasure." the destroyed responded, unsheathing his orange-bladed short sword and pointing it ahead with his free hand.

The blade spewed an intense blaze ahead of it, spinning around and melting the ice statues all around them to nothing more than a puddle of water and decomposed mush. "Alright, guys, let's cut 'em apart!" Obsidian declared, sliding his blades against one another with a metallic 'shing' radiating out.

Atop the building, Indigo's concentration was broken as an immense gust of wind beat down on him, the sniper turning and shielding his eyes from the gale to see the cause as air craft, carrying the bloody symbol of the White Fang, hovering not far way. The helicopter dropped a large crate on the roof several yards from him, the wall facing Indigo flying off on impact to reveal dozens of red, haunting eyes glaring at him. "Hopefully, after as long as we've been fighting, they can handle themselves. Alright, who's first?" Indigo called out.

His answer was met as a lurker came at him in a full dead sprint like a dog on all fours. Bringing the rifle to his shoulder and training his sight on the Inferri's skull, Indigo made short work of the first lurker with a blast that took everything off its head from the bridge of its nose up, the body basting random jumps of electrical current. More of the lurkers streamed out, two dozen in all now charging straight for the sniper. Not losing a step, the cocked his gun and a large combat knife flew up from the sheathe on its stock, flying handle-first into the air before reaching the apex of its ascent and falling back down the same way it went up. In an instant, Indigo had flashed ahead and grabbed his knife, the blade coursing with an electrical current, and swung ahead at an Inferri springing at him, parting the crown of its skull from the rest of its head. The sniper turned and aimed his rifle with his free arm straight ahead of him at an Inferri flying at him with readied talons, blowing its head to bits as the recoil of the shot made him flip over another lurker attempting to tackle him. Indigo hurled over another lurker and, as he sailed over it, inverted the grip on his knife and rammed it through the ghoul's forehead, landing on his feet behind it and tearing his blade free.

Indigo brought his knife back over his shoulder and threw it straight into the forehead of an Inferri not far away, bringing his hand back and grasping the barrel of his sniper in an instant. The sniper swung the gun across his body and crashed the butt over the jaw of a charging lurker, sending it flopping to his back as the gun wrapped over his shoulders, draping his free arm over the butt and looping his finger over the trigger. Staring straight ahead with lurkers flying at him from his flanks and front, Indigo shot the one at his right over his shoulders, pulverizing its skull as the recoil sprung the sniper off his shoulders. The gun and his arm swung out wide to his side, firing it as it was level with the ground and tearing the head apart of the lurker before it at point-blank range. The gun kicked ahead of Indigo in a semi-circular swoop, the barrel clotheslining the lurker in its path before the stock landed in his free hand before him. The instant it rested in his hand, the gun kicked as another round was discharged and carved a large, perfectly circular hole through the face and head of another lurker that closed in on him, his head nor his eyes moving from their original straight-forward position.

Indigo charged ahead into the open space ahead of him, leaping over the corpse that held his knife and freeing his blade in-stride, turning back and firing with an outstretched arm at a pursuing lurker. The recoil sent him tumbling backward, the sniper correcting his mistake has he rolled over his shoulders and onto his knees, ramming the top of his fist into the eye of a lurker towering over him, the blade sinking through the thin portion of skull behind the organ. Not with much time to rest, Indigo leveled his sniper straight ahead of him, his wrist throbbing from the recoil resting solely on it this last few shots, and fired at the neck of another ghoul, its head rolling from its shoulders yet continuing to roar in fury. Unable to stave off his dire situation, Indigo freed his knife before jamming it into its sheathe and sprung to his feet, charging headlong into the middle of the collapsing pack around him, his sniper coursing with electricity. Tapping into his aura with a burst of indigo light, the sniper lept high into the air, his sniper now appearing to be one giant ray of lightning in his hands. Indigo aimed straight down at the condensed group of lurkers, unleashing a round that had a massive stream of lightning following it. The round drove straight into the ground and vaporized the Inferri to dust, the bullet not losing momentum as it dug through every level of the skyscraper before hitting the basement boiler. A massive explosion rocked the basement off its foundation and the rest of the building blew out from the sheer energy of the round, large, jagged hunks that formed floors and walls now free falling to the earth, Indigo diving down amongst them.

Down on the ground, the group had hacked and smashed its way through the Inferri that came at them, everyone freezing in-place as a massive blast nearly deafened them all. Their heads flung to the side and found the completely skyscraper completely shattered, Diana crying out upon seeing her comrade falling amongst the carnage, "Indigo!"

The two men locked eyes for a moment and nodded, Noctus dropping to a knee and cupping his hand together. Catching on, Diana put her foot in his hands and was immediately shot into the air straight for Indigo with the aid of Noctus' superhuman strength. The witch flew right for the sniper, extending her hand out for him. The two locked each other in their grasps, spiraling in the air before slowly coming to a stop as Diana's gloves glowed green. She slammed her fists together, a pair of boulder-sized pieces of debris flying under them and instantly halting their fall. The duo stood up, Indigo turning and giving her a smile, thumbs up, and a cheer of, "Thanks, Diana, I would have been a goner."

"Don't thank me yet. Your little blast gave me an idea to win this."

"And what would that be?"

"Sit back and watch." Diana stated, slicking a finger down and sending the Indigo's stand flying back to the ground.

As soon as Indigo had leapt from his falling rock and tumbled next to his teammates, Diana trained her hand on the men, a dome-shaped pack of thick ice forming over them. Diana's rock sped ahead and higher still, leaving her able to overlook the whole city as she now looked down at the most heavily populated part of the horde, edging her way towards the end of her piece of debris. "Well," she said, swinging a leg over the empty space at the end of her boulder, "here goes nothing."

Diana plummeted to the earth, hair flapping madly in the wind beating over her. She brought her fist back over her shoulder, the siphon drawing out of a red dust crystal. As she got closer and closer to the ground, a ball of crimson energy formed over her fist, random currents of electricity sparking over it. Just as she was about to slam into the ground at terminal velocity, Diana threw her fist into the ground. Instant, she and the nearby Inferri were engulfed in the red blast. Not long after, the blast grew into a large, crimson-shaded dome that eclipsed over half of the horde. Near its edge, Onyx looked in awe at the spectacle from atop his column, barely able to utter a whisper, "Whoa."

Just as abruptly as it appeared, the blast intense light began to fade to nothingness, revealing nothing but carnage. The asphalt in all directions was shattered like glass, not a single piece to be found bigger than one inch by one inch. The Inferri did not simply disappear. Instead, their skeletons were mummified by thick, black soot from the intense heat of the dust blast that had melted their flesh, frozen forever in whatever position they had died in. Diana remain propped on her fist and a knee, rising to her feet as her comrades came running for her, their ice shield melted by the great blast.

As one, the hunters began to come together, Teams VOAJ and INGO converging on EMAD and their allies. "What happened to him?" Violet asked, looking at the injured form of Ben.

"Lurkers and a behemoth." Thatch answered. "Having fought them, you can probably guess what those are."

"We need to get him out of here." Noctus said, using his superhuman strength to haul the colossal soldier over his shoulder. "We beat most of these things, but there are still more out there, and the horde is closing in, look."

The students followed the wolf's gaze, their eyes falling upon the remaining hordes of the undead as they shambled and shuffled their way forward, the sound and smell of the encroaching beasts washing over the collected hunters and filling them with dread.

Francois checked the ammo of his rifle and grit his teeth. "Is anyone else running short on ammunition?" The nobleman asked. Several nods from the group told him exactly what he feared.

Maria looked among her teammates and allies. Morale was dropping, ammo was running low and the ever. "Form up." She ordered. "We'll have to fight as one if we're going to live through this."

The hunters summoned up their remaining morale and readied their weapons. Thatch and Francois loaded the last of their ammunition and stood side by side. Alison stood behind Maria and readied her zhua. The Axman was twitching as he stood at the ready with his weapon, Taipan standing nervously beside him, taking a step back as she readied her own axe. Indigo stood back from the rest of the group, standing guard over Ben as he loaded his rifle. Noctus, having dropped Ben at the back of the group, hefted his axe, Obsidian sharpening his blades on one another as he giggled with excitement, Diana standing back and readying the remains of her dust. Onyx and Violet stood side by side, the chain mistress ready to hurl her teammate into the ranks of the enemy to wreak havoc. Alex and Julius stood with them, sword and staff at the ready, Alex just waiting for the right moment to activate his semblance and make what could be his last charge.

Maria looked over the assembled forces as she readied the gun in her shield. "If we don't make it out of this, it's been an honour knowing all of you. Even you Indigo."

"I'm touched." The sniper sarcastically responded. "Save it for when we're out of this."

Maria was about to respond, but her words were drowned out by the sound of massive engines overhead. The assembled hunters looked to the skies as a legion of Atlas dropships flew in, the hatch on the lead ship opening and a single figure dropping out, landing right in front of Maria. Her crimson cape and skirt billowed in the wind, revealing the chainmail and medals she wore, her matching scutum shield and pilum javelin marking her as a warrior. Julia turned to face the hunters, a wicked grin on her face. "Hello, little sister."

"Julia." Maria remarked. "I never thought I'd be happy to see you. I'll assume you brought your men with you."

**(New Music: Thunderstruck by AC/DC)**

"You assume correctly." The general responded. At her words, the ships opened their doors and flew low to the ground, the mechanical soldiers of Atlas leaping from within to join the battle. These were modified versions of the new Atlesian Knight models, each one carrying a massive scutum shield in its left hand while carrying an assault rifle in its right. "Legion!" Julia ordered "Formation One!" Upon landing, the machines began to arrange themselves into battle formations, forming units four men across and eight deep around the hunters as a phalanx of troops formed ahead of them with Julia at its center. The Atlesian general looked across the ranks of her men before turning back to the horde baring down on them, a massive behemoth banging its fists against the ground in a challenge as the ghouls worked themselves into a frenzy. "Ready arms!" She ordered. The metal men raised their rifles and shields as one, Julia reversing the grip on her pilum and holding it above her head as they did. "Fire!"

Before a single droid could pull it's trigger, Julia pulled the trigger on her javelin, the lengthy head of the pilum firing from its shaft with the aid of a rocket, the javelin head spearing through the behemoth's skull, a second later it detonated with the force of a grenade, launching the Inferri around it as the droids opened fire, slowly advancing as they did, the phalanx forming a wall between the Inferri and the remainder of her troops as they crept forward, gunning down any ghouls in their path.

"Hold position!" Julia ordered, several yards out from the horde. "Ready formation!" she commanded. The troops behind her began moving forward to join the phalanx, forming an arched front line. Julia dropped to a knee and rammed the bottom of her shield into the ground. The boss of the shield then opened, a large barrel extending out from it. Julia smirked as she fired the artillery battery, the massive shell landing in the middle of the horde, blowing ghouls in every direction. The general quickly ejected the spent shell before loading another, firing once again, sending corpses and limbs flying as it exploded.

The general rose to her feet to see that her forces had assembled themselves into a massive arched front. Turning back to the enemy, they had gotten dangerously close, the leading ghouls only a few yards out. "Form up and strike!" Julia roared.

The instant the general spoke, the droids began to rearrange themselves, the arched formation began to move forward, the arms beginning to close in on the horde, holding fire as the trap was set. The center of the formation, led by Julia, began to move back slightly, firing on the horde to keep them distracted as the outer arms continued to advance and encircle them.

Maria watched as her sister's forces fought, nearly instantly recognizing the formation she used. Right out of the military strategy books she and her sister had read as kids.

Julia allowed a smirk to grace her face as the ambush was formed. The outer arms of what was once her phalanx had wrapped themselves around the horde, using their shields to push the enemy back in on itslef. The double envelopment was completed as the last of her troops closed in behind the remains of the horde.

From within the horde, a behemoth rose and roared in rage, but a rocket javelin to the chest from Julia shut it up, the explosion causing even more chaos in the undead ranks. "The enemy is encircled!" Julia roared. "Open fire and let's finish them off!"

At her word, the machines collectively fired, the rapid fire from all directions quickly turning the ambush into a kill box. The undead could do little but bang on the shields of the Atlesian Legion before they fell to their gunfire. The box began to close as the droids advanced inward, Julia taking a step back from her troops as they finished off the ranks of the dead. She quickly stepped over to join her sister and her allies. "Good work." She remarked.

"Thanks." Maria replied, sheathing her blade. "You saved our lives."

"It's my job, sister." Julia said, holding her pilum over her shoulder. "Everyone alright?"

"No." The centurion responded. "One of my team needs medical attention, he was gravely wounded in the fight."

The general nodded grimly. "I'll radio for evac, have medical personnel on site to get him to safety."

"Good." Maria said with a nod. She turned on her heel and ran back to Ben. Taking a knee next to him, she placed his head in her lap once again. "How are you holding up?"

The soldier groaned in pain as he fought to keep his eyes open. It was taking every ounce of his strength to speak. "I think it's my turn to have a replacement." He muttered.

"Not funny, big man." Thatch said, kneeling next to the soldier. "You'd damn well better stay with us. I'm just starting to not completely hate you."

Ben allowed himself a light smirk in spite of his pain. "How very caring of you."

"What my _camerade _means is that you are a member of our team." Francois said. "And we don't let our teammates die this easily."

Ben looked up at the faces of his new team. Each one of them had every right to simply leave him to die after all he put them through in his brief time as their field commander, but now, all of them stood by him in his weakest moment. As the sounds of sirens could be heard in the distance, Ben smiled one more time before allowing the comforting embrace of unconsciousness to take him, the combined strain of exhaustion and his wounds weighing heavily on him. He was dimly aware of people yelling his name after him, but he could barely hear them as he allowed himself to rest.

As the majority of the hunters watched over Ben, the Axman stood apart from the group. His excitement and energy from before were beginning to fade. As the numbers of the enemy grew smaller, he began to realize more and more how tired he was. He was tempted to consult the new voice in his head on what was going on, but once the smell of gunpowder began to overpower that of decay, the voice grew silent. It was odd, the second he leapt into battle with that saw, it was like he was on auto pilot, the voice guiding every move he made, telling him just what to do and when to do it. To be honest, it scared him, the amount of violence he commited and the lack of restraint. He would never have even picked up that chainsaw in any other fight, knowing just how quickly the blade would have gone through aura, but in this one, it seemed not only logical to use it, but right. That voice could be very convincing.

"Never thought I'd be fighting on your side." Said a voice, pulling him out of his thoughts. The vigilante turned to see it was Taipan who had spoken.

"Desperate times, I guess." He said. "Since you're on my side this time, does this mean this is our third date?"

The snake punched him in the shoulder. "In your dreams. I'm sure we'll be back at each other's throats in no time."

"I don't know." The Axman replied. "I mean, where will you go now? The White Fang thinks you're dead, and they've been working with some pretty shady characters lately."

Taipan looked at the ground. "I don't know." She said sadly. "I want to go back, but after what we did on that island... I don't think I can. And even if I did, I know what some White Fang leaders do to those they think talked."

"You could always stick around in Vale." He suggested. "I could use some company in my late night activities... That sounded so much better in my head."

The snake giggled slightly, running a hand through her dirty blonde hair. "I might stay in Vale for a bit. I could use a place to think for a bit."

"The two of you might want to get back to Vale pretty soon anyway." Said a third voice. Taipan and the Axman turned to see it was Maria who had spoken, Ben having been loaded into a medical ship bound for the city. "Julia might have missed you right now, but when she brings the teams in for a debriefing, she won't take kindly to a vigilante and a former terrorist." The centurion gestured to the city behind her. "If you move quickly, you can be hidden before she notices, but you have to move now."

"I know a place we can hide out." The Axman said with a nod. He reached into his coat and pulled out a slip of paper. "If you want to meet me, head to this address and ask for the moonshine forge."

Maria accepted the slip with a nod of thanks and silently gestured to the city again. The Axman returned her nod, but before he could run, Taipan stepped forward. "You asked me my name on the ship." She said. "I think after saving me, you deserve to know it." She took a deep breath, steadying herself, knowing that with these words, she was severing her ties to the White Fang, possibly for good. "My name is Micca, Micca Sol."

Maria held out a hand which Micca gladly took. "Maria Gaia." She said, shaking the snake's hand. "Now go, before Atlas catches you."

With a nod, the Axman and Taipan both broke into a silent run for the city, Maria watching after them until they entered the streets. With a heavy sigh, the centurion turned to face her team. They were battered, bruised and beaten, but they were still alive and still a team after all they had been through. She watched as Thatch led Francois and Alison back to the wreck of the hardware shop and the _Serenity _in it. "What are you doing?" She asked, joining them.

"What do you think?" Thatch answered. "I'm salvaging my ship."

"You think you can repair that?" Maria asked. "We literally crushed a hardware store in that thing."

"And any other ship wouldn't have survived that." The renegade replied. "This thing is tough as nails, and I want to keep it."

"It would be handy to have airborne transport." Alison pointed out.

"That is, if he can even get this thing running again." Francois added.

Maria chuckled to herself before a realization hit her: Fantine was still out there. She and her team could celebrate all they wanted, but as they did, Fantine would still be trapped on the Abyss. How could she call this mission a success when the mission leader was left to die.

No. Fantine wasn't dead. That man was a tenacious fighter and strategist, and he was accompanied by a veteran of the Faunus War who served under her idol. If anyone could survive out there, it was them.

The ringing of her scroll brought Maria out of her thoughts and back to the real world. Pulling the communicator from her pocket, she saw she had one new message. Opening it, she found it to be just a single line of text.

_We're alive. Tell Ironwood I was right. The enemy is in the Abyss._

_Fantine_

Maria let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Fantine was alive, and not only that, but she had a way of getting into contact with General Ironwood. After all, her beloved sister was his lieutenant general. Her resolve restored, Maria looked back up at her team. The engines of the ship powered up as Thatch roared in triumph from the inside. "It works! It bloody works! I told you so!" Maria could only smile. If a ship could crash through that much after being in a scrape with a Nevermore, Fantine could survive a few days there. He had to have reason to believe he would succeed.

Thatch strutted out of the ship and threw an arm around Alison. "What did I tell you two?" He gloated.

Alison just blushed, but Francois rolled his eyes. "Don't get too cocky, _mon ami. _Repairing this thing will take more than just confidence and a change of headlight fluid."

The renegade removed his arm from the artist and fixed the noble with a blank stare. "Did you just say headlight fluid?"

Maria watched as the boys squabbled, Alison standing back and occasionally laughing at them. "Alright, can it you two." She ordered. "I'll have someone come out here and retrieve the ship later, for now, we've got business to attend to."

Oxoxoxo

**That took WAY longer than I thought it would, but, I hope it was worth the wait.**

**Special thanks to Undaed15, Madninja324 and ESPECIALLY DeadAliveManiac who composed this masterpiece of a battle. Seriously, if you haven't checked out some of this guy's work, what are you doing? Go read his Death Battle story, you won't regret it if you liked the action in this chapter.**

**And, if you liked the characters in this chapter and want to see more of them, I just told you who wrote their stories. If you want to see more of VOAJ and INGO, check out "Beacon's VOAJ" or "INdiGO Dreams" by Madninja324 (The latter of which was recently updated, so you should definitely check that out). And, if you liked Taipan and the Axman, go check out Undaed15's stories "Eight New Faces" or "RWBY: Light Dark and Shadow" the latter of which also stars Team EMAD. Lastly, if you liked Ben or Vlad, and want to see the Abyss in a more traditional horror story, then DeadAliveManiac's "RWBY: The Abyss" is the story for you.**

**Again, massive shoutout to DeadAliveManiac for writing the vast majority of the action scenes in this chapter, next chapter will end season 2, and with that ending comes a question I'd like you all to answer: should I include season 3 in this story, or should it be in a separate one? Leave a review telling me what you think as well as if you liked this chapter.**

**Thanks for reading, and have a Happy New Year.**


	22. Chapter 19: Aftermath

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 19**

**oxoxoxo**

General Ironwood stood on the bridge of his dreadnaught, gazing out the window at the city of Vale, the fading light of the early evening bathing the city in the orange glow of sunset. Though the city had survived the attack of the Grimm and Inferri, the victory had come at a cost. Much damage was done to the city, several people were injured or worse in the battle, with the total casualty number unknown, as the citizens were still reeling from the attack, desperately trying to recover. Property damage was extensive, with entire buildings being brought to ruin by massive Grimm, the initial explosion and one hardware store being destroyed by a crashing ship. Even with Glynda doing her part to repair the damage caused, it would still take time and money to enact proper repairs, and even more to properly seal and fill the train tunnels that caused this mess.

Then there was the human cost.

Luckily, the majority of the Grimm attack was contained, with only a few of the creatures breaking off from the fight and making their way into the city, and the Inferri had been unable to enter the city, thankfully. However, the initial attack of the Grimm had sprung up in the middle of downtown Vale, the explosion wounding and even killing several. A team of young huntresses had managed to hold the monsters at bay until civilians were able to evacuate, but that didn't change how many were harmed. And to make matters worse, Fantine had been right, the enemy was meddling in the Abyss. Confirmed by his own lieutenant and her sister, the forces of the White Fang were working in the Abyss, and they had been responsible for the attack by all accounts. Now it was only a matter of time until word from those few who saw the creatures spread across the city and from there across the kingdoms. The secret that they had worked so hard to keep as a secret would soon reach the edges of the world.

Though Vale had survived the attack, the cost was just too high.

Ironwood was pulled from his thoughts as the door to his bridge opened, the distinctive ring of chainmail gave away his visitor before she could even speak. "Sir." Julia Gaia said, giving a quick salute. "You wanted to see me?"

"Indeed, lieutenant." The general confirmed. "What's the status of _The Rubicon?"_

"Dismal, sir." Julia reported. "The enemy managed to hit us hard, _The Rubicon _is unfortunately going to be grounded for a bit."

"What about the crew?"

"Most of the crew got off with nothing more than minor injuries." Julia replied. "There were some more seriously injured, but many of them were droids."

"Any casualties?"

"Human, no. Some droids were heavily damaged, but my human crew is alive."

Ironwood nodded. "At least we have some good news. What about the enemy, did any manage to escape?"

"The Inferri were slaughtered to a man, sir." Julia said. "No survivors."

"Good work." Ironwood said. "However, I'm still going to send a few men out to hunt down any that might have escaped."

"Would you like to borrow a few of my legionnaires, general?"

"That won't be necessary, lieutenant." Ironwood replied. "Though I will see to it that your troops and ship are brought back up to full strength."

"Thank you sir." Julia said with a salute.

"Don't thank me yet." Ironwood said, cutting her off. "I have one more question. What is the status of Project Vanguard? I know the prototype was aboard your ship."

Julia nodded. "The prototype was damaged in the crash, sir, though not beyond repair. We will need to recover it, however."

"Let me worry about that." Ironwood assured her. "I'll have crews salvage _The Rubicon _as soon as possible."

The lieutenant general gave another nod. "Thank you sir."

"I told you not to think me, lieutenant." Ironwood continued, his voice growing more serious as he spoke, all traces of levity leaving his tone. "With this attack on the city, the public will find out about the Inferri and will demand to know more. True, very few actually saw them, but those who did will talk, and soon enough people will be demanding to know what these things are."

"What do you propose, sir?" Julia inquired.

The general took a deep breath. "Once _The Rubicon _is functional, I'll be sending you on a mission to deal with the Inferri."

"What?" the lieutenant demanded. "Sir, with respect, that's absolute insanity."

"Lieutenant," Ironwood tried, but Julia cut him off.

"We sent an entire army to that accursed island, an army which was led by one of the greatest generals of our generation. All of them were slaughtered, not a single survivor was left, and you want me to go in with just my forces? That's suicide, I'd sooner lead my men into a volcano, at least then they'd die quicker!"

"Enough!" Ironwood snapped. "I know what happened to Frundsberg and his men, and I'd never risk sending any men into that hellhole again." The general explained.

"Then why are you sending me there?" Julia asked, fear evident in her tone, her voice nearly shaking.

The general sighed heavily. "Our original plan was a war of extermination, we were going to send forces in to eliminate the threat entirely, kill any Inferri or other Grimm in the area and make the island safe for settlement." He turned to look out the window of the bridge. "After today, it seems that resettlement is no longer an option."

Julia stood at attention. "What would you have me do, sir?"

Ironwood turned to face his lieutenant and gave her a hard stare. "As soon as _The Rubicon _is in the air again, you are to fly to The Abyss. From above, you will burn the island to the ground. Now that people know what lived there, they'll never settle and I'm not risking more ground troops."

"Sir?"

"You have your orders, General Gaia." Ironwood said simply.

Julia snapped a salute. "Sir, yes sir!" The elder Gaia sister turned on her heel and marched off the bridge.

Ironwood let out another heavy sigh. There was still the matter of the council and Oz. This city needed stronger protection, and if Ozpin couldn't provide it, then he would be the one to offer it.

oxoxoxo

"Hey, he's waking up!"

"Already? I thought he'd be out for longer than that."

"You guys know he can hear you, right?"

Ben groggily sat himself up, only for a hand on his shoulder to gently push him back down to the bed he lay on. "Easy there, big guy." A voice said. It was a girl and she sounded oddly familiar, but in his state, the soldier barely recognized who she was. "You didn't exactly come off the battlefield unscathed." Ben lay back down and using all the strength he had forced his eyes open. "How are you feeling?" The girl asked.

As his mind started to get clearer, the soldier began to recognize the voice. "Maria? Is that you?" He groaned. "How long was I out for?"As his vision cleared, he began to recognize his surroundings. He lay on a medical bed in Beacon's infirmary, bandages covering his chest. There was a stinging pain from behind the bandages and an ache in his muscles

"Not too long, actually." Thatch said, entering his field of view. "You've been out for less than a day, and you went out this morning."

"That's a good sign." Ben said, laying back down on the hospital bed. "By the fact that we're all still alive, I'm guessing we won?"

Maria nodded. "You were right, Atlas showed up just in time, my beloved sister herself leading the charge."

"What happened to the Axman and that girl from the White Fang?" Ben muttered, still waking up.

Maria looked about the room, and seeing they were alone leaned in to speak softly. "I told them to head into the city." She whispered. "The Axman told me where I could meet them when we were ready to meet."

"Glad to hear they survived." Ben muttered, dragging himself up into a seated position. "Mind of I join you when we go to meet them?"

The soldier would have risen if it weren't for Thatch and Francois holding him back down. "What did we just tell you, big man?" Thatch remarked. "You've been out since this morning."

Ben shrugged them off and sat up in the hospital bed. "Was there any permanent damage?"

"This will leave a scar." Francois replied.

"Anything else?" The soldier asked. When there was no response, he continued. "If there's no real damage and I've been resting since the morning, then I think I'll be fine. So, when do we leave?"

Maria sighed. "Is there anything I can say to persuade you to stay here?"

Ben gave her a hard stare, one Maria could only imagine she had given to many a person before. "Would you stay here in this condition?"

The centurion sighed. "You... have a point..."

"Exactly." Ben said, shakily rising to his feet. "So, when do we leave?"

Maria gently pushed him back down to the bed. "Calm down, Ben. We'll be heading out in half an hour. I'll have someone bring you your gear before we head out."

The soldier looked down at the hospital robe he wore and lay back down. "You... have a point..."

Maria rolled her eyes. "Get some rest, we'll talk more on the way downtown."

oxoxoxo

Taipan and the Axman looked down on the city of Vale from atop a building near the site of the breach. They watched as the evening sun bathed the city in a bright light, a stark contrast to the battles both in and outside the city that had raged just hours prior. "It's amazing just how much can happen in just one day." The snake girl mused, looking out over the city as Atlesian troops scoured the streets, looking for any remaining Grimm that might have escaped the battle earlier in the day.

"Think they left any for us?" The vigilante asked, a snort of laughter escaping him. The Axman felt great right now. The city was saved, he found a new toy, and best of all, he, without a doubt had the high score in that last fight. Thinking back on the fight though, being honest with himself, he couldn't remember much about it. The last thing he remembered was the ship crashing, only getting his senses back when the very snake he now stood with spoke to him.

"What, you want to find out" Taipan replied, bringing the Axman out of his thoughts. "I'm sure there's still a Beowolf or two around if you want to have a real first date."

The Axman coughed and nearly fell off the roof at that. "What?" He sputtered.

Taipan giggled. "Well, that's quite a shift from the confidence of before."

The vigilante regained his footing before looking at the snake girl. "Well... we should probably head to my hideout, just in case that other girl wants to find us."

"Not a bad idea." The snake remarked, looking out at the sunset over the city. "One question though: where is your hideout?"

"Umm..." The Axman muttered. "About that..." Taipan didn't even have time to ask before the flat of an axe hit her in the head and she crumpled to the ground in a heap. "Sorry about that, secrecy and whatnot..."

oxoxoxo

Ben groaned as he sat up again, surprised to find that instead of the infirmary he was now lying on his dorm room bed, staring up at his ceiling. The soldier groaned as he stretched and rose to his feet. A glance to his left saw that whoever brought him back here had also left his clothes on his nightstand, neatly folded and cleaned as to remove the blood, both his and the Inferri. He'd have to remember to thank whoever did that.

Ben got up from his bed and picked up his scroll, quickly dialling Maria's number and setting the phone to speaker mode. As the colossal soldier pulled on his pants and shirt, the centurion answered the call. _"Hello Ben, how are you feeling?"_

"Much better, thank you ma'am." The soldier answered, pulling his blue jacket on and fastening it with its cross shaped buttons. "Are we still planning on heading into town to find the Axman?"

"_Yeah, we are. I gave the rest of EMAD the day off, but since you wanted to head to town with me, you and I will go meet them."_

"Yes ma'am." Ben replied, pulling on his black boots. "I'll meet you in front of the school in five minutes."

"_Sounds like a plan." _Maria answered. _"But stop calling me ma'am. We aren't in the army."_

"Sorry, force of habit." Ben said, strapping his sword to his back. "See you in five."

As the call disconnected, Ben picked up his scroll and placed it back in his pocket. As he walked out of his dorm and set out for the school's courtyard, he considered just how much luck he'd had over the past month. He'd taken over for a team who'd hated him and rightfully so. He'd done nothing to gain their respect, simply demanding it as though it were owed to him simply for his rank. The defeat they suffered in class could be laid somewhat at his feet as well. He'd spent his time in the match simply barking orders and hoping the team followed them, expecting it with no question. The defeat should have been expected.

Equally expected should have been the real leader of his team tearing him down. When she regained control of the team, he rightly should have never seen them again. If it had been him in her position, he would have demanded Ozpin keep him as far from the team as possible, but then she allowed him to come back, to join her team under her. Since then, he'd felt like he belonged, sure, it had been awkward at first, but with Maria's help, the others had grown to accept him as one of their teammates, so much so that in the last battle, it had been those very same teammates of his who saved him.

These thoughts on his mind, Ben stepped out of the school into the courtyard, the familiar silver gleam of his leader's armour immediately catching his attention. Maria looked up at the courtyard's statue, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Thinking about getting your own statue?" Ben asked.

Maria turned to face him, a small smile on her face. "Just wondering how much I'd have to do before I get my place in history." Maria replied. "But that can wait for another day. Come on, the airship into town leaves in a few minutes."

Ben nodded and fell into step with the centurion as she led the way. It didn't take long before the airship to Vale arrived, and the ride was mostly spent in silence as Ben gazed out the window over the city. Atlesian forces were combing the streets, searching for any remaining Grimm that might have escaped the battle. From above the city, as the airship came in for a landing, it was clear that while the city had been saved, the people were still on edge. His thoughts on the matter would have to wait, however, as the airship landed, the doors opening and letting Ben and Maria off into the city of Vale. "You said you knew where we were going, right?" Ben asked.

Maria nodded and pulled a small slip of paper out of her armour. "The Axman gave me a location and told me just what do to when I got there."

"And you're sure this isn't a trap?"

"That's why I brought my shield and my giant friend." Maria said as she gestured in the direction of the address she acquired. "I hear it's safer to walk into a bar with someone you trust."

Ben looked at her quizzically. "A bar?"

Maria nodded. "Yeah. After I got the address, I decided it would be safest to look into it before going there. Turns out we were given the address to a bar in downtown Vale called _The Last Stop. _Some dive bar where some shady characters like to hang out. My choice of who to bring was either you or Thatch and considering you asked to go, that made my choice for me."

"Don't I just feel special..." Ben muttered, though the small smile on his face told Maria he was at least somewhat happy to be there.

"What, are you going to let your poor, defenceless leader do this herself?" Maria asked.

"When I find my defenceless leader, I'll let you know." Ben replied.

Maria gave a snort of laughter. "I see the team is rubbing off on you. The Ben I met at the beginning of the semester was a humourless jerk."

"From what I hear, you started the year in a similar state." The soldier said.

"Touche." The centurion shot back. "I guess the rest of the team is a pretty good influence in that case."

"We'll have to have a drink for them." Ben commented.

Maria looked up at the bar they had just arrived at. It was a fairly small, easy to miss place. The name _The Last Stop _was written in neon lights above the door, but aside from that, the building was low and somewhat rundown looking, the outside clearly needing a fresh coat of paint. "Think they'll serve us here?"

Ben shrugged. "Only one way to find out." The giant said. He stepped up and pushed through the door to the bar. As the two of them walked in, they were more than a little surprised. Looking at the outside of the bar, one would expect the interior to be just as run down as the exterior, but inside the bar was clean and lively. It wasn't very crowded with only a few patrons occupying various tables, talking to one another and nursing drinks. Ben cast his eyes about the bar, but there seemed to be just one thing missing: none of these patrons even came close to resembling the Axman or Taipan. The men were too big, whereas the Axman, even with the baggy coat he wore, always seemed to be more of a lean powerhouse and the women were too small, Taipan would tower over all of them. "You think they're really here?"

"Like you said," Maria replied. "Only one way to find out."

The centurion quietly made her way up to the bar where she was quickly noticed by the bartender, a giant man, only a head shorter than Ben with a lengthy yet neat red beard and hair. "Welcome to _The Last Stop." _The bartender greeted them. "What can I get you?"

Maria took a seat on one of the bar stools and scratched her chin. "A friend of mine recently told me about this place." She said.

"Did they now?" The bartender asked. "Did they tell you anything in particular?"

"He did say one thing." Maria said, folding her arms. "He told me you had something called, what was it now... I think he called it the 'moonshine forge.'" Maria said, making air quotes around the name of the drink.

"Did he now?" The barman replied. "Let me just fix one up for you." He said. He looked under the counter and produced a few bottles, emptying some of each one into a small glass. However, upon adding the last one, the barman shook his head. Oh dear..." He muttered. "It seems I'm all out of moonshine. Lass, do you think you and your friend can lend me a hand finding it? The forge just isn't the same without it."

Without waiting for a response, the bartender turned and walked to a door behind the bar, pushing it open and walking in without a word. Maria turned to Ben who gave him a questioning look. Maria nodded grimly and placed a hand on the hilt of her sword. The message was clear: if this man tried anything, they could fight him off. Ben returned the nod and the two of them cautiously walked behind the bar and followed the barman through the door. The room they entered was clearly the storeroom, the room lined with bottles of all shapes and sizes, the bartender was walking along the left hand wall, searching through bottles while humming to himself. As if on cue, he turned to face them. "I was wondering how long it would take you two to follow." He said. "The bottle is just out of reach up there," the bartender said, pointing to, as he said, a clear bottle just out of his reach. "I can usually get a ladder, but since you're already here and it looks as though you're just the right height, lad, if you can just grab that, that'd be great."

Ben gestured to himself, provoking a nod from the barman. The colossal soldier turned to his leader, the centurion nodding, her face hard as steel. The message was clear: if this guy attacked, she'd intervene. Ben returned the nod and walked forward, pulling the bottle of moonshine off the shelf. He braced for an attack at any second, but to his relief, one didn't seem to come. Still ready for any attack, Ben looked over the bottle. The liquid inside was as clear as any water he'd seen, and the label on the bottle read _A Taste of Madness, _the logo beneath it showing a pair of crossed axes above a skull. "Charming." Ben remarked, handing the bottle to the bartender. As he was about to walk back to Maria, something caught his eye from behind where he pulled the bottle. "Hey... what's that?" He muttered, looking into the space the bottle used to occupy.

"What's what?" Maria asked, walking up to join the giant.

"There's a switch back here." Ben said. "What's it for?"

The barman shrugged. "Flip the switch lad, see for yourself." With that, the bartender stepped out of the storeroom, shutting the door behind him. Maria didn't hear a lock, which was reassuring, but all the same she was still unnerved.

"What do you think?" Ben asked.

Maria let out a sigh. "We haven't been let down so far." She muttered. "Hit the switch."

Ben nodded and did as Maria asked, immediately recoiling form the switch as it was hit. As soon as he did, the shelf split down the middle and opened, revealing an elevator hidden behind it. Maria and Ben shared a look before stepping in. Maria looked at the buttons on the elevator, immediately knowing which button to hit. After all, when looking for the Axman, a button with an axe on it is a good place to start.

The doors closed once Maria hit the button and the elevator began its descent. Throughout the entire descent, Ben's hand never left the hilt of his blade, the soldier taking a step in front of his leader as the elevator came to a stop. The doors opened and, on the other side was a medium sized, brightly lit room, wall to wall grey tiles with a massive computer screen dominating much of the back wall. The left hand wall contained a glass case where the Axman's axe rested, a machete and Bowie knife occupying the other spaces in the case. In a case next to it was the Axman's hat, trenchcoat and mask, all of which were placed on a dummy. The sound of a door opening drew Ben and Maria's attention, both immediately turning to the source of the noise to see, emerging from a door on the opposite wall from the Axman's weapons and suit was, well, they could only assume it was him.

It was a young boy, about their age with cropped short brown hair and matching eyes. He wore a pair of black pants and a bright red shirt, both of which were baggy enough to hide his frame, but to a trained eye like Maria's he couldn't hide the way he stood and walked. She could see his body tense when he noticed the newcomers in his lair, and though he did relax somewhat after he saw who it was, she could still see he was ready to burst into motion should either one of them attack. "Uh... Hi." He said.

Maria cocked her head and looked at him. "Axman?"

The boy smacked his head and shook it with a barked laugh. "Sorry, I just realized that not only have you guys never seen me without my mask on, but I also never told you my real name, did I?"

"No, no you didn't." Maria replied. "Also, where's Micca? She left with you after the battle."

"Sorry about that." The vigilante chuckled. "The name's Rick, pleased to meet you both." He said with a cheery smile, holding out a hand for her to shake.

"Maria." The centurion replied. "Maria Gaia. What's your last name?"

Rick scratched his head for a minute and then shrugged. "Not sure." He casually admitted.

Maria and Ben shared a look of absolute confusion before both of them turned back to the vigilante. "Wait, what do you mean you're not sure? It's your name, what is it?" Ben demanded.

"I mean I don't know." Rick admitted, not seeming to care. "The bartender upstairs, Aedan, he took me in when I was young, only really told me my first name. I guess I could just use his name, but I just don't think it's that important."

Ben and Maria shared another look, eyebrows rising in utter confusion. "And that doesn't bother you at all?" Maria asked.

"Should it?" Rick replied. "I have no idea who I am, so I decided to just go with it and make up my life as I go."

Maria let out a sigh. "We're getting off topic here. Where's Taipan? You still haven't told me what happened to her."

"Micca? She's in the other room." Rick said, gesturing to the door he emerged from. "I kind of knocked her out to get her down here, have to keep the lair a secret and whatnot."

"You knocked her out?" Ben demanded, incredulous.

"Yeah, why?" Rick replied.

"You told me how to get here, why couldn't you just tell her what you told me or bring her in through the bar?" Maria demanded. "What did you do to her while she was out?"

"Why does everyone just assume I'll do that?" Rick groaned. "Seriously, do I look like that much of a creep?"

"You patrol the streets at night in a mask and trenchcoat and just admitted to us that you knocked a girl out." Ben deadpanned. "You really think we're NOT going to get that impression?"

"I have her on medical dust." Rick replied. "She should be waking up any minute now."

As if on cue, a groan of pain could be heard from the other room. "Ow..."

"See?" Rick replied. "She's fine. And if you inspect her, you'll find her clothes are intact and her weapon is leaning on the wall."

Maria rolled her eyes and pushed past the vigilante, walking into the room. It seemed to be designed to resemble a Beacon dorm room mixed with a doomsday bunker. The decorations looked like a dorm, the walls even covered in the same wallpaper as Beacon's, but the center of the wall across from the door was taken up by what looked like a provisions locker, the open door revealing a supply of medical products on one side and food on the other. The beds were another difference, as while the Beacon dorms had normal beds for the students, the four beds in this room, while the same size, folded out from the walls. One had been pulled out for Micca, the tall girl lying on one of them, her dirty blonde hair splayed out around her head, her eyes screwed up in pain. As Rick had promised, however, aside from her hood and mask removed, her outfit was intact, not a single clasp or button had been touched. Maria stood over the snake's bed. "How are you feeling?" she asked the injured snake.

"Like I tried to play Griffball without protective gear." Micca groaned, rising to a sitting position and opening her slitted eyes.

"Sorry about our host, he's a bit of an idiot." Maria replied. She could hear the Axman protesting from outside but chose to ignore him. "He says you'll make a full recovery though."

"I'll have to pay him back for that someday." Micca muttered. Maria couldn't tell if she meant the blow to the head or the medical dust. "Is there anyone else here?" She asked.

"Just us, the Axman and Ben." Maria replied. "Don't worry, the White Fang hasn't come looking for you yet, and if they do, they'll have to get through me."

"Why are you doing this for me?" Micca asked. "You barely know me and I tried to kill your teammates before."

Maria looked the serpent girl right in the eye. "We've shed blood together, fought side by side against a hoard of nightmares I hope never to see again." She explained. "Once you share an experience like that with someone, you don't quickly forget it."

As much as Micca wished it weren't true, she knew the centurion was right. Even now she remembered the feeling of those creatures' hands on her as they tried to pull her apart. She would have been dead were it not for this team, and Maria in particular. She owed them everything. "You saved me." The Taipan admitted. "But you're offering to protect me again, why?"

Maria offered the snake a hand, one which the faunus tentatively took. "I do whatever I can to protect my allies, not because I owe them anything, but because it's right." The centurion explained. "I hoped that after the battle this morning that I can consider you and the Axman allies."

Micca's grip tightened on Maria's hand. "I can't make any promises for him, but after saving me you have my help, whatever that's worth."

Maria hoisted the serpent to her feet and shook her hand. "Then I'd like you to follow me." She said, leading Micca out into the central room of the Axman's lair. Ben and Rick jumped up from their discussion when the girls entered the room, Ben immediately standing at attention. Maria rolled her eyes. "At ease, Ben." Maria said. "Rick, I need to speak to you and Micca."

The vigilante in question gestured to himself. "Me? Why me?"

"I'll explain." Maria began. "I know none of us met under the most... normal of circumstances, but we were all brought together by a trial by fire. The battle this morning was harrowing for all of us, any one of us could have died and the fact that we're all still alive is a miracle. The way things are looking, I don't know if things are going to get better anytime soon." The centurion paused to look at both the vigilante and the assassin before her. "I think the two of you should stay with us." She explained.

Those last words got Ben's attention. "Maria, are you talking about..."

"Yes." The centurion confirmed. In one swift motion, Maria drew her gladius, the sight of it causing both Micca and Rick to recoil, Micca stepping back while Rick looked like he was going to jump for his axe if she took another step. Neither one had to worry, however, as Maria merely saluted them with her blade before holding it before he chest, point facing down. "Rick, Micca Sol, I, Maria Gaia, leader of Team EMAD, do hereby invoke the Legion Protocol. If you will accept my command, then I do hereby invite you to join Team EMAD."

Both Micca and Rick looked at Maria in shock. "You'd invite us to join you?" Micca asked. "I know we fought in the battle with you today, but what could we offer you?"

"Also," Rick pointed out. "Do you really think Beacon will let us anywhere near campus? With records like ours, they're more likely to call the army to take us out on the spot. Not that it'd work, I'm pretty sure I can take out a few Atlas troops, and maybe a mech or two, and maybe-"

"Allow me to explain." Maria said, cutting the vigilante off. "You'll both be valuable assets, but not in the same way as the rest of my team. With all that's been going on, I need eyes in the city and on the street. Both of you have experience in that, and that's experience I want to take advantage of."

Understanding seemed to dawn in Micca's eyes. "You want us to look out for the White Fang, see if they come back."

"Not only them." Maria said. "That other guy, Derek Blanch," Maria said, pausing and trying to remember just where she had heard that name before. "I want you to keep an eye out for him, see if he shows his face around town."

Micca was silent as she looked between Maria and Ben in front of her and The Axman next to her. She knew exactly what the White Fang would do if they found out she was alive, she had carried out just that kind of order in the past. Part of her feared for her life and the lives of any she could get close to. However, the rest of her knew that she needed allies if she was going to survive. She was one girl hiding from both her former agency as well as the police. If either one found her then she was as good as dead. Allies meant security, security meant safety and safety meant survival. She knew what she had to do. "I accept."

Maria smiled and nodded. "Take my sword and accept my command." She said, holding out the handle of her sword to Micca.

With trembling fingers, the snake reached out to take the hilt of the blade. She took it from Maria's hand and mimicked the salute. "I accept your command and join Team EMAD." Micca said, hoping those were the right words.

Maria held out her hand for her blade, which Micca gladly returned. "Welcome to Team EMAD." She said. With that, the centurion turned to face the Axman. "And what about you? Will you accept my command?"

The vigilante scratched his chin in contemplation. "You're not going to order me around like some expendable grunt, are you?"

Maria gestured to the giant behind her. "Just ask Ben here what happened when he tried that."

The colossal soldier put up his right hand. "It didn't go well."

Rick bit the inside of his cheek for a few seconds as he considered his options. "If you promise not to do that, and to keep her safe," he said, gesturing to Micca who brightened slightly at the mention. "then you have yourself a legionnaire."

Maria nodded once again. "I will do all I can for her. Now, take my blade and accept my command."

Rick nodded and stepped forward to accept her blade, smiling brightly as he performed the salute and spoke the words. "I accept your command and join Team EMAD."

Maria took back her gladius and sheathed it at her hip. "Welcome to Team EMAD."

oxoxoxo

As the sun set behind the trees of The Abyss, Fantine and Vlad crept through the trees, both covered in grass and mud stains, having run across the forest to cover any trail they might have been leaving. At the very worst, if the White Fang did manage to track them through the trail they might have left, it would take a long time for them to follow the two of them. Now, as the light faded over The Abyss, the two of them were finally approaching the mausoleum Fantine had spotted on their flight to the island. The structure was certainly large, and with only one door in the front, the White Fang would certainly have a hard time getting in. The structure was certainly ancient, with two massive columns framing the entrance and thick walls covered in moss and vines that looked none the worse for wear having been here for what could only have been hundreds or even thousands of years. A lengthy staircase led up from the ground to the entrance. "So," Vlad said. "This is the place?"

"Indeed." Fantine said. "Have you never been here before?"

The former general shook his head. "Never spent too much time on this side of the island during the war, Erwin marched the army east from the base, planning to march across the island, turn around and march through again, mopping up anything we might have missed the first time. Then... Well, I'm sure you know what happened after that."

Fantine paused. "Rumours have made it to the rest of the world, but no one really knows what happened here that fateful night when we lost contact with you and the army."

Vlad snarled. "Those animals are what happened. Attacked us in the dead of night, set fire to the camp and slaughtered everyone there. No one survived. Not on our side or on theirs."

Fantine began walking up the stairs to the door. "And you killed them?"

Vlad followed the professor as he ascended. "What, you wouldn't?"

"I'd wonder why they were there." The phantom explained. "It seems odd that the White Fang would simply show up here of all places."

The former general snarled. "They were there for me. After they lost the war they were out for blood and apparently they wanted mine."

Fantine frowned. "What about Frundsberg? Did Erwin survive?"

Vlad stopped climbing as he looked out over the forest they had come from. "He didn't make it. I found his sword plunged into the ground in the middle of an inferno."

Fantine paused. "My apologies." He said simply. "Come, the White Fang will not be delayed forever and we need to get inside before they find us."

The survivor nodded grimly. "You're right. I'm not ready to face Erwin again yet."

The two soon reached the top of the stairs, Vlad stepping forward to pull the door open. The metal bound wood door creaked open as the ancient hinges groaned. As the two stepped through the door, they were immediately struck by the chill of the room. The interior of the mausoleum was pitch black and as cold as the darkest night. The two cast their eyes about as they tried to regain their vision. "You made another room darker." Vlad muttered. "Any chance you can brighten this place up?"

"I made the other room merely look darker." Fantine explained. "Illusions cannot brighten a room." The phantom reached into his coat and produced a lighter. "However, this can." With a click, the lighter's flame was produced, illuminating a pair of torches by the mausoleum's entrance. The phantom picked one off the wall and lit it, illuminating a wider area around them, including the second torch, one that the phantom immediately took a closer look at. "We're not alone in here." He said. "This torch, it was only put out recently, the material is still warm and this room chills me to the bone."

Vlad was about to ask who he thought was here when form behind them, a clear sound was heard, the cocking of a revolver, and the former general felt a cold point press against the back of his skull. Someone had a gun to his head. "You're not wrong." Said the voice. It was clearly a young man, a teenager even, but the weight it held was such that it sounded more like someone who had been alive far too long. "Turn around slowly you two." It said again. "By the look of you, you don't have much aura left, one good shot should be all I need for either of you, so no funny business."

Fantine looked to Vlad and shot him a glare. The look had an obvious message behind it: just do what this man said, making him angry wasn't worth it. Slowly, the two of them turned around, their interrogator revealed by the light of the torch. He was a short boy, likely only five foot seven with brown eyes and matching hair that had grown long and wild as though he had been here for some time. The blue coat he wore had likely been regal at some point, but was now tattered and torn, some parts of it even burned and what looked like bullet holes even dotted some sections of it. The gun he held was a smaller piece, a combination of a revolver and a kukri knife, the barrel of which was still pointed at Vlad. However, once the former general turned to face their captor, the light revealing them to one another, the boy lowered his weapon. "Vlad?" He asked, suddenly sounding like the boy he resembled. "Is that you?"

Fantine looked between the two, seeing that they both wore the same expression: confusion, relief, fear, shock, all in equal measure. He was about to ask Vlad just who this was when the former general did it for him. "Erwin Frundsberg. You're alive."


	23. Chapter 20: Aftermath II

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 20**

**oxoxoxo**

Vlad stared open mouthed at the man he once called a companion, a comrade, a brother in arms and a friend. For months he had thought Erwin Frundsberg to be dead, killed by those animals on that fateful night all those months ago. In shock, Vlad dropped his halberd and simply stared at the boy he thought long dead. "You're... alive..." Vlad muttered, taking a shaky step forward.

Erwin holstered his kukri-revolver and looked to his former companion with a look of shame, something that didn't go unnoticed by Fantine. "Yes, Vlad. I survived. I thought you were dead."

Vlad took another step towards the general, but before another word could be said, the halberdier reared back and slammed his fist into Erwin's jaw, throwing the general to the floor. "IS that all you can say to me?" He roared in rage. "I watched our entire camp go up in flames! I saw your sword plunged into the damn ground! Everyone was dead, YOUR MEN, all of them were killed!" Vlad seized Erwin off the ground by the collar of his blue coat and slammed him up against the wall. "How did you survive? Tell me!" He spat.

"Calm yourself!" Fantine hissed. "This is no time for fighting, so put him down, Vlad. Now."

With one last growl, Vlad roughly tossed Erwin back to the ground, the general landing hard on his back. Erwin rose to his feet and dusted himself off before turning to the phantom. "Thank you."

"Vlad does have a point, however," Fantine continued. "You've been missing, presumed dead for months. What happened to you?"

Erwin looked down at his feet. "When the White Fang hit our camp, I was still asleep, only waking up to the sound of gunfire and explosions. By the time I woke up and got my weapons, then camp was already in flames. I tried to rally the soldiers, but I couldn't get them together in time and watched the last of my men get gunned down. They surrounded me and demanded my surrender." Erwin hesitated and seemed to flinch at the memory. Fantine was quick to pick up on this and frowned in suspicion for a second before hiding his thoughts. Erwin continued his story. "They took my gun and left my sword at the camp's ruins before dragging me off. However, all the noise they made attracted the wrong kind of attention, and they were attacked by a horde of Inferri. In the confusion, I managed to grab my weapon and escape." He turned to Vlad in shame. "I thought you were dead along with the rest of the men."

Vlad snarled at Erwin, but held his tongue on any insults he might have wanted to hurl at him. The halberdier folded his arms. "And what, you've been here ever since?"

Erwin nodded sombrely. "I didn't know where to go from here, I've been living off small game and sleeping on a cot I managed to salvage from the camp's remains. That's been my life since the night attack."

Fantine placed a hand on the young general's shoulder. "Well, that life ends soon. If my students made it back to Vale, they should be back with reinforcements soon enough. When they get here, I'll take you off this island with me."

Erwin looked up to Fantine, the barest flicker of hope in his eyes. "You think they'll take me?"

"I'll make sure of it." Fantine said. Looking out the door, the sun had set completely over the Abyss, the light of the shattered moon being the last light over this dying island. "It's almost night and we've been walking all day, I don't suppose you have any spare cots?"

Erwin nodded and walked over to the door, producing a lighter from his coat pocket and lighting the second torch by the door. With two light sources, the general pushed on the ancient door with all his might, the entrance shutting with a groan of the hinges. With the door shut, Erwin placed a massive wooden beam across the door, sealing the entrance. "Have to keep the Inferri out somehow. He muttered. "Doesn't keep the noise out though, be warned." With those words, Erwin turned on his heel and walked deeper into the mausoleum. "Come on," He said, gesturing into the interior. "I managed to salvage a few cots from the camp just in case mine broke."

Fantine nodded, he and Vlad following Erwin into the ancient building as darkness settled in over the island. It would be a long night, and morning would bring them no safety. Outside the mausoleum, in a treetop nearby, a pair of living eyes spotted the two humans entering. The scout pulled out his scroll and placed a call. "Commander, I've spotted the enemy."

"_Good work." _Came the voice of Caroline over the scroll. _"Report back to the Firebase, we'll make our attack at dawn."_

"Yes ma'am." The scout responded.

oxoxoxo

Derek Blanch sat at his desk in the firebase, a broad smirk splitting his face as he listened in on Caroline's call from her scout. He chortled to himself. "Looks like my old friend Fantine wasn't slippery enough to escape this time." He said to himself. "How tragic, it seems I'll have to resort to my backup plan."

Bartholomew, who stood in his usual place at Blanch's side, looked at his employer in confusion. "And just what might the backup plan be?" He asked.

Blanch chuckled and stood up from his desk. "Well, I'm afraid the first part is the termination of your contract as my bodyguard." The mercenary looked like he was about to argue, but Blanch held up his hand. "You will still receive your full payment, plus a bonus that I have graciously included." He explained as he led Bartholomew out of his office and into the halls of the Firebase. "In fact, I'll give you that bonus right now."

"Now you're speaking my language." Bartholomew replied with a grin from under his hood. "So, what does the rest of the plan entail?"

Blanch smirked. "I'll explain the details as soon as I give you your bonus, however, I will recommend you to a certain contact of mine, a Miss Cinder Fall. I've been, shall we say, aiding her in her plan. When I discovered her work with the White Fang, I reached out to her and told her of this place. She seemed rather enthralled by it, another weapon in her arsenal." He chuckled and shook his head.

"Any idea what I'd be doing for her?" Bartholomew asked.

"Oh, I'm sure she has plans for you." Blanch replied with a dismissive wave of the hand. "She even has an old friend of yours in on her plans. Does the name "Torchwick" mean anything to you?"

"That little punk?" The mercenary muttered. "Can't believe he ever did anything with himself."

"You're not worried about how I know your little student?"

"Okay, first, he was never much of a student, he picked my pocket and I tracked him down and taught him to do it properly after a beating or two. Second, I've learned not to question you or what you say so long as you pay me."

"That is an attitude I much appreciate." Derek said, opening a door to the airfield. "Now," He said, checking his watch. "I do believe your bonus should be arriving any second now."

Bartholomew was about to demand an answer, when his question was drowned out by the sound of massive engines and roaring wind. The mercenary looked up to the source of the sound. It was a massive Atlesian battleship. The ship touched down and Bartholomew took a step back. "What is this?" He demanded. "Are you turning me in? After all I did for you?"

Blanch chuckled and walked slowly towards the ship. "I'd never dream of it, my friend." He said. "On the contrary, this is your bonus for helping me. This ship is yours for the taking, your men will serve on it with you along with the legion of Atlesian Knights in the hold. All yours."

Bartholomew stepped up to join his employer and looked up to his payment in awe. He had been promised rewards for his work for Blanch and had received his payment one iteration at a time. However, this was something he never expected. After the Primo Victoria went down, he had been sailing the skies in a small _Serenity _model ship, and in the chaos of those students attacking the base, that had been stolen. Now he had an all new ship, even better than the first, but one thing was still missing. "All she needs is a name." He mused.

"I hate to overreach," Derek said, gesturing to a group of mercenaries on the airfield. "But I went ahead and gave her a name myself. She's named after what we intend to bring about, our final goal in this plan."

The mercenaries brought forward a large spotlight and shone it on the airship, illuminating the name emblazoned across the port bow in massive gold lettering. _The Golden Age._

Bartholomew grinned and held out a hand for Derek to shake. "She's beautiful."

"Enjoy her." Blanch replied, accepting the handshake. "She's all yours, and she's a key step in my plan."

The mercenary smirked under his hood. "If your plan involves me getting to fly this beauty, I'm all in."

Derek gave a cruel grin. "Perfect. Come aboard and I'll explain my plan."

oxoxoxo

Mary Ebonwood swept up the ransacked remains of her inn's bar. The Grimm invasion during the Breach had caused a mass panic, with some of the creatures even breaking in and attacking. Mary and her customers had all survived, but the attack was still stunning and had resulted in considerable damage. Luckily, she didn't have to clean it alone, her son Thatch and his teammate Alison had arrived early in the day to help clean up, as did the older brother of Nyx Lupin, the girl who was quickly becoming her favourite customer. Mary looked across the bar to where Noctus and Thatch were righting an overturned table and smiled. It was always nice to see one's children getting on well with others. The innkeeper couldn't help but chuckle as Nyx leapt on her brother's back, laughing as though she hadn't a care in the world. Noctus, clearly not bothered by his sister on his back, merely rolled his eyes and kept on with his work, though Thatch did laugh at him briefly.

After righting what remained of the intact tables in the bar, Thatch and Noctus, still with his sister on his back, approached Mary, Alison doing the same after sweeping up the glass form the broken window out front. "I can't thank you lot enough." Mary said, looking at each of the young hunters in turn. "Don't think I could have done this on my own."

Thatch shrugged. "It was nothing. Besides, you raised me since I was a kid, and I can't imagine that was easy." Alison giggled at her teammate's words, knowing full well he was probably a wild child.

"I can't exactly let my sister be playing around in a ruined inn." Noctus explained, reaching around and pulling Nyx off his back, depositing the little wolf on the ground where she promptly pouted in childish rage. Noctus chuckled and tousled her hair. "Thank you for watching out for her during the Breach, Mary."

Mary gave a dismissive wave. "She wasn't any trouble." She said, walking towards the remarkably intact counter of the bar. The bartender walked around behind the counter and reached under it. "You know, I keep this here in case of a robbery, never thought I'd have to use it though." She said, producing a large, pump action shotgun from behind the bar.

Nyx tugged on Noctus' pant leg to get her brother's attention, the dark haired wolf looking down into the bright, excited eyes of her sister. "You should have seen it, Noctus, this big Beowulf smashed through the window and roared really loudly," Nyx said, breathless with enthusiasm. "But Mary jumped up from behind the counter with that big gun and said 'get out of my bar!'" The young wolf tried to mimic Mary's accent in her story, making the bartender blush.

Noctus chuckled and picked up his sister in his arms. "And just what happened then, little wolf."

"She picked up the gun and shot the Beowolf! BOOM!" Nyx declared, throwing her arms in the air in excitement. "And he flew right out the window again! It was SO COOL!"

Thatch smirked at the young wolf's antics before turning to his mother. "Never pictured you as the huntress type, mum. Maybe it should be you going to Beacon."

"Ah, be quiet son, we all know I'm just not cut out for that life." Mary said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "That's your life, not mine." She looked over the three students and gave them a bright smile. "That's all your lives. And after what you did yesterday, I am proud of all of you." The bartender may not have had the connections of her former boss Aedan Flint, but word of mouth did travel fast, and it wasn't long before she heard of the battle against the ghouls at the outskirts of the city. She knew of the heroism of all of the hunters who fought against those creatures, as well as the soldiers who finished them off. "After everything you've done, I think the three of you and your teams deserve a reward. The rest of your teams might not be here, but I hope the three of you will allow me to make you a home cooked meal. What do you say?"

Noctus was the first to reply, placing his sister on the ground and making his way to the front of the group. "I'm sorry, did someone say food? If so, I'm in, let's go."

The faunus was about to make for the kitchen, when Mary stopped him with a palm to the chest. "Not so fast, wolf boy, I haven't even started cooking yet. I'll call you when I'm done, until then, hold your horses." The innkeeper turned to Thatch and Alison. "What about the two of you? Are you interested?"

Alison's face lit up slightly, unused to people paying her or her actions too much attention. "I'm not sure, I couldn't just-"

"Oh, come on lass." Mary cut her off. "You helped save the city from a bunch of monsters, I think you can accept a small token of gratitude."

Alison frowned and looked up to Thatch. The renegade smiled at her. "Mum is a mean cook, I think we can take this one little reward."

Alison sighed in resignation and turned back to Mary. "Alright, I guess we can take a meal."

Mary smiled at the artist. "There we are. Now, let me go prepare something."

oxoxoxo

Ben Aparte pushed open the door to the _Last Stop _and strode in. Maria had decided that someone should go and check in on their new teammates and Ben had happily volunteered, deciding that not only did she deserve a break after leading the operation in the Abyss, but also that as the previous "new guy" on the team, he would be in the best position to relate to the new recruits. The thought of those new recruits was admittedly slightly unsettling to him with his soldier's mindset. The first was a masked vigilante who would take to the streets at night to dole out vigilante justice with an axe. As far as Ben knew, he hadn't killed anyone, but who was to say he wouldn't start? And the second was even worse in his eyes, a former White Fang assassin who had confirmed kills under her belt and had actually fought against them the night before she joined the team. Part of him still didn't completely trust her, but if Maria had allowed her to join the team, he would make an effort to do so.

"Mornin' lad." A voice said, bringing Ben out of his thoughts. The giant looked up to see it had been Aedan Flint, the bartender. "You're here early."

"Yeah." Ben replied. "Maria wanted someone to check on the new teammates, I volunteered for it."

"Good man, Ben." Aedan said. "Come on back, I'll let you in."

Ben nodded and followed Aedan into the stockroom. "Hey, mind if I ask you something?" The soldier asked as he pulled out the moonshine bottle that hid the elevator call switch.

Aedan shrugged his burly shoulders. "Ask away."

"How did you get involved with a vigilante?" Ben asked. "You're a barman, how does someone like you suddenly end up adopting a vigilante and having his lair under his bar?"

The bartender smirked at Ben's question before letting out a hearty laugh. "Lad," He said in between chuckles "I'm no normal barman. Sure, I own this bar, and it's perfectly legal in every sense of the word, but before that, I had a... rather different job."

"Can I ask what that was?" Ben asked.

Aedan shrugged again. "Well, it's just us here so I suppose it doesn't hurt. Before coming to Vale, I was Atlas Special Forces. Espionage, assassinations, the works. Now, I use those skills to help Rick as the Axman."

"Wait, if you were Atlas Special Forces, why did you leave?" Ben inquired.

Aedan just smirked. "That, lad, is a story for another time. Anyway, you have an elevator to catch, I'll meet you down there soon enough, just have to clean up the bar a bit."

With that, Aedan turned and walked back out to the bar, leaving Ben to step into the elevator and press the button to take him down to the Axman's lair. With the elevator descending, Ben could only wonder just how the two of them were getting on without Maria there. They hadn't exactly been the best of friends before EMAD met them, and even during their last meeting Rick had knocked Micca out with the blunt side of his axe before dragging her down to his lair. Sure, he had her put on medical dust after that, but it was still... a less than pleasant way to get her to the lair. Ben let out a sigh of annoyance. He'd probably find them either arguing or not speaking at all. He'd likely have to sort that out before he could get them settled on their roles on the team.

These thoughts on his mind, Ben marched up to the elevator door as the signal went off, telling him he had arrived at the lair. He took a deep breath as the doors opened and he stepped into the large room, only to have a pair of axes clash mere feet in front of him, the shock sending him stumbling back and making him reach for his sword.

That was when he realized just what had happened, as Rick and Micca leapt back from their clash, landing on opposite ends of the lair, axes brandished. Both wore exercise gear, with Micca wearing a pair of black sweat pants and a white tank top while Rick wore the same outfit, but with a black tank top. Ben let out a sigh as he looked between the two of them. "Really, you two?"

Rick shrugged. "She said she was the better axe fighter."

Micca scoffed. "It's true."

"And who won our last fight?"

"Uh, Maria was the one who knocked me out, not you."

"Well, I could have!"

"You wish!"

Ben rolled his eyes as the two axe fighters continued to argue. "This is childish." He muttered, pulling out his scroll. When Rick and Micca joined EMAD, their aura meters were linked to EMAD's scrolls, letting them monitor their aura levels. Ben quickly checked the aura levels of both fighters and saw that they were both _just _outside the red. Ben looked up from his scroll at the two fighters. "Just how long have the two of you been at this?"

Rick thought to himself for a moment. "What time is it now?"

Ben looked to his scroll's clock. "Ten thirty, why?"

"Well, we started this sparring match at seven, so... three and a half hours then."

Ben smacked his face. "Alright, I'm joining in." He said, stepping into the center of the lair and drawing his sword. "You two against me, let's go."

Micca and Rick exchanged a look. "But, you just got here." Micca pointed out.

"Yeah, and we've been sparring for hours now."

"Exactly," Ben replied. "The two of you have already had your warm-up and have already gotten into the battle mindset. I'm still half asleep. So, you bring me down, and you can continue your spar for the next hour or so until one of you finally runs out of aura, but if I win, then we start this team meeting properly. Sound like a plan?"

Rick and Micca locked eyes from across the room and exchanged a nod before the Axman looked back up to Ben. "Alright, big guy, you're on!" He said before letting out a war cry and charging. Rick leapt into the air, axe raised and aimed for Ben's head, but before he could reach his target, he suddenly halted in mid air.

Rick looked up to see his hands, still holding his axe, were currently clutched in Ben's gargantuan grip, the soldier's other hand holding his sword to Micca's throat. The vigilante looked up to Ben's face, the giant soldier glowering at him with a deadpan expression. Attempting to lighten the situation and possibly spare himself some pain, Rick gave a wide smile and chuckled innocently.

Ben, however, was having none of it and, using his superhuman strength, he reared back and hurled Rick bodily into Micca, the momentum throwing both of them into the wall of the lair. A quick check of his scroll confirmed that both Rick and Micca had entered the red zone. "Well," He said, sheathing his sword and pocketing his scroll "Now that we're done with that, shall we get on to the real business?"

Rick groaned as he worked to disentangle himself from the tangled pile of limbs he and Micca had landed in. "You cheated." He muttered.

"We never set any rules about what I did." Ben offhandedly said.

"He's got a point, lad." A new voice said, drawing all attention to the door to the lair. Aedan leaned on the door to the elevator, his ginger beard framing a wide smile. "He just said the two of you against him, never that he had to use his weapon."

"Ugh..." Rick groaned as he stood up from where he and Micca had fallen. "Thanks for taking my side, Aedan..." He muttered.

Micca hauled herself to her feet, using her axe as a crutch as she stood up. "What brings you down here, Mister Flint?" She asked, approaching Aedan, walking over to stand alongside Ben.

"Lass, you can call me Aedan," The bartender replied with a smile. "And I'm here because I have some information and maybe a mission for the three of you."

Rick slung his axe over his shoulder and smirked. "I like the sound of that, what have you got?"

"Well, as you know, one tends to find out quite a bit from running a bar like mine." Aedan explained. "People come in to drink, and once they have a drink, they become a bit more chatty and tend to talk about their, shall we say, exploits, legal or otherwise depending on how strong the drinks they've had were. Helps too when your servers are trained in espionage and intelligence gathering, but sometimes that's just not enough, so I have a few contacts out in the city, including one man who knows just about everything going on in Vale at all times."

"Seems like a dangerous man." Ben remarked. "Are you sure we can trust him?"

"Aye, lad, we can trust him. Been working with him for years now, even back when I worked with Atlas Special Forces. He calls himself Masque and he has informants in just about every gang and organization in the city. Hell, I'm sure at least some of my own staff are on his payroll. Through his network of informants throughout the city, he knows just about everything that's going on at all times."

Micca raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing you wouldn't just tell us this if it didn't have a purpose."

"Catch on quickly, don't you lass." Aedan said with a grim expression and a nod.

"Has he gone rogue?" Rick asked. "Do you want us to track him down and set him straight?"

"Nay, lad, not a chance. Masque is far to reliable an informant to lose, and to my knowledge he hasn't been giving my information out to any... unsavoury characters."

"Then why bring him up?" Ben asked, folding his arms and frowning.

"Because just this morning he called me." Aedan explained. "Strange, because it's always been me contacting him for information, he's never just called out of the blue. Seemed shaken over the call and what he said next made me realize why. Apparently, White Fang might have tracked him down, and he's worried they might be planning to take him out."

"So what does he want from us?" Asked Rick, the Axman scratching his chin in intrigue. Ben took note of this, noting that as soon as the mission briefing began, Rick seemed to become a much more serious person. He'd keep that in mind for future operations.

"Masque told me he knew about the Axman, said he wanted the Axman to smuggle him out of his base of operations and help him relocate. Offered two rewards for our compliance in helping him, the first being his services as our personal informant. I think you can imagine just how much of a benefit that is to our efforts in Vale, with his connections we could know everything going on in the city."

"What was the second?" Ben asked.

Aedan frowned and walked past the young warriors, taking a seat behind the lair's massive computer. The barman reached into his pocket and pulled out a small flash drive. He plugged it into the computer and a video began to play. "He told me about a new gang that has just formed in Vale."

The video was surprisingly high quality and showed a massive crowd, all of whom were dressed in black hooded robes as they chanted and screamed unintelligibly at an illuminated stage with matching black curtains. A massive man stepped onto the stage, dressed in the same night black robes the crowd wore. "Welcome!" He roared, the crowd cheering boisterously in response to his call. "Welcome, my human brethren!" He declared. "You all know why we're here tonight. Why we've come together on this evening, as our wounds have just begun to heal and our anger has begun to boil. We are here for one reason and one reason alone..." The man declared, pacing across the stage as he spoke. The crowd became nearly silent as they waited with bated breath to hear what he would say. "Tonight, my human brothers and sisters, tonight marks the beginning of the death of the White Fang!" He screamed. As the crowd erupted in cheers, a massive banner descended from behind the speaker. The banner was simple, but the message it conveyed was as clear as day. It was a plain white background with the massive image of a fang that had been snapped in half emblazoned on it in jet black.

Ben had a feeling things were going to get worse, but still could not stop himself from asking what seemed like a simple question. "Okay, it's a group against the White Fang, I'll bet they're not the only one out there. What's wrong with this one?"

Aedan didn't even look away from the video as he replied. "Keep watching, lad."

Ben frowned. He didn't like where the video was going. His spirits were dropped even more when three more figures stepped onto the stage. Two of them were garbed in the same black robes that the crowd wore, but between them was another, a young boy with brown hair and a matching pair of dog's ears. The boy looked like he had been beaten severely. One of his eyes was blackened and he was bleeding from his scalp. His mouth was taped shut so he couldn't speak, and his hands were bound behind his back. "As the animal bites down, there must be those who will rein the beasts in." The speaker made a grandiose gesture to the massive banner hanging behind him. "We, my brothers and sisters, we are those who will restrain the beasts. We will thin the herd until it poses no threat. We, my brothers and sisters, we are the ones who will declaw the animals, we will break the White Fang! We are the Fangbreakers!" The crowd roared in applause as the leader approached the bound faunus boy. "This insolent beast has ties to the organization. His brothers were both terrorists, and who are we to believe that the pup would not follow the pack!" The boy made an attempt to speak, desperately making any noise he could, his pleas silenced by the covering over his mouth. "To thin out the herd, we must start somewhere, my brothers and sisters." The leader quietly said as the crowd grew silent. From within his robes, the speaker produced a gleaming dagger.

Ben was about to demand that Aedan stop the video, but before he could speak, the barman had already pressed the stop button on the computer. He stood up and turned to face the group once again. "That was one of seven meetings that took place all across Vale. From what I hear, the other six were of the same form."

Micca could barely speak after the display of brutality she had just seen. "So many of them were cheering when they saw that boy get dragged onstage." She whispered. "Who were those people?"

Aedan sighed. "They call themselves the Fangbreakers." He explained. "Used to be they were a group who gathered to protest the actions of the White Fang, particularly the more violent ones. They were a fairly peaceful group, sticking to debates and speaking to members of the council about the White Fang, but aside from those members who were genuinely hateful of the faunus they were non violent. That is, until last yesterday."

"The Breach and Impact." Rick surmised.

"Aye." Aedan confirmed. "That brought out the worst in them, made the ones who already hated the faunus into full blown murderers and those who were non violent into willing accomplices."

Micca covered her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes. "Why would they do this?" She said in between muffled sobs.

Ben put a hand on the snake girl's shoulder. "From what I've seen, if there's one thing I know it's that after hardship, people can turn to extreme measures. Trust me, I've seen it before."

"And after an attack like that with all evidence pointing to the White Fang, it would only be a matter of time before a group like this was formed." Rick concluded.

"Aye, you're both right." Aedan agreed. "But what concerns me is the speed of its formation. Less than a day after the Grimm attack, and already executing civilians." The bartender let out a sigh of resignation. "That's not what's important now, though. Once we find Masque, he's agreed to help us take them down in any way possible."

"So we have our goal." Ben summarized. "We save Masque and he helps us take down the Fangbreakers. So, what's the plan of attack?"

"Hold on, lad." Aedan said, holding up a hand to Ben. "Masque wants to gather additional information before we help him relocate. He said he'll contact me again when he wants the relocation."

"And what do we do until then?" Rick asked, obviously disappointed.

"He's right," Micca agreed "There are faunus out there being murdered and we're just supposed to sit here and wait for more of them to die?"

"I have to agree with her." Ben said. "The longer we wait, the more faunus will be killed. We should take the fight to the Fangbreakers now."

"It's not that easy, lad." Aedan explained with a sigh. "As soon as I saw what they did, I sent one of my servers to investigate the locations of these meetings to see if the Fangbreakers were still there. They were all empty. "I've got my contacts on the street watching out for any Fangbreaker activity, especially in faunus neighbourhoods, but until I hear back from them, the best you can do is keep training to be ready for them."

Ben hesitated. He knew it was wrong to argue this point, but in the back of his mind, he knew Aedan was right. They could break down the meeting room doors and go in guns blazing, but there was no one there. They could try to search for the members individually, but the hoods they wore concealed their identities, making them a lot harder to find. Arguably, the best thing they could do was to be ready for their next move and catch them when they made it. "Very well." He growled, nodding grimly. "We'll be ready for them when they strike next."

oxoxoxo

General Ironwood stood on the bridge of his dreadnaught as he watched the repair crews rebuilding _The_ _Rubicon. _Next to him stood his lieutenant, Julia Gaia, both of them watching silently as they both knew what would happen as soon as the ship was repaired. It would take a few days, but as soon as the vessel was airborne, it was heading to the most dangerous island on Remnant. Julia fidgeted in anticipation, something she rarely did. Part of her knew that what she was about to do was necessary, after all, the Inferri were a massive threat to all life on the planet. She knew exactly what could happen if they managed to escape the island and make it into the rest of the world. They needed to be wiped out.

That said, it was hard for her to be excited over what she was about to do. Her orders had been given, and she had never been one to disobey, but she still felt uncomfortable with the sheer magnitude of destruction she was about to cause. She would be destroying an entire island, razing everything that stood there to the ground. The original plan for the Abyss was to wipe out the Inferri threat and then bring settlers in to colonize the island and take advantage of the wealth of natural resources it held. Now, however, there would be no resources left to use. She would be annihilating everything. The island would be completely uninhabitable.

A voice from the door to the bridge broke the silence that reigned over it. "Preparing for battle, general?" Ironwood and Julia immediately turned to face the speaker, seeing that is was a black haired woman with green eyes and high cheekbones and an intimidating yet elegant face. She was tall and thin, wearing a long sleeved black dress and a floor length black feathered cape. She stood in the doorway with one hand on her hip, looking rather sceptical of the entire operation Ironwood was planning. "I hear you're sending your lieutenant to death's doors in a few days." Elaine Ravencroft said, walking onto the bridge and towards the generals.

"Ravencroft." Ironwood said, almost spitting the name as he said it. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

The raven haired woman stopped mere inches in front of the general who didn't back down even slightly. "You know full well what brings me here, James." She said in an accusatory tone.

"Even if he does, I don't." Julia said, stepping forward and putting herself between her superior and the woman accosting him. "I suggest you start talking, lady. I'm not exactly patient with people who threaten my superior officer."

Elaine looked down to the slightly shorter woman in front of her and sighed in annoyance. "Then you know how I feel, as your general is going to have my leader killed."

Julia narrowed her eyes at the woman. "What?"

"Elaine," Ironwood interjected. "Fantine is dead. There's no way he survived alone on that hellhole of an island for over a day with both the White Fang and Inferri to contest with."

Ravencroft shook her head. "No, he's still alive. You seem to forget just how long Erik and the rest of our team survived there before you arrived with the rescue, James. If he can survive that long with us, one day will not kill him."

"It was just you four against mindless monsters that time, this time he has a terrorist group to contend with. And even if he is still alive, do you really think he can hold out until Julia is ready to leave?" Ironwood demanded. "I'm sorry for your loss, Elaine, but this has to be done."

"I agree." Elaine said, surprising both generals. "The Inferri are a menace to the world and have to be dealt with, and this is the simplest way to do so. However, I do still believe Erik is alive, and I intend to save him." She explained.

"And just how do you intend to get to The Abyss before we can get _The Rubicon_ running again?" Julia asked.

Ravencroft smirked slightly. "I have my ways, and my transport should be arriving any minute now."

As though on cue, another voice spoke from the door to the bridge. "Sorry we're late." As one, the personnel on the bridge turned to the door once again. This time, someone new stood in the door. Someone James Ironwood had not seen in quite some time. She was shorter than Ravencroft, much closer to Julia's height, with slightly curled brown hair down past her shoulders, her hair framing a beautiful face of defined cheekbones and full lips with purple eyes completing the picture. She wore a long, floor length purple dress, and as she approached Ironwood and Julia, they could see it was backless and had a slit running up her left leg to her thigh. The sword she had sheathed at her hip was made all the more noticeable by her strut as she swayed her hips with every step she took. The picture would have been made complete by a coy smile or an exaggerated pout, but she bore neither on her face, merely a stoic expression. As the woman walked over to greet the group, she and Ravencroft shared a brief embrace. "Good to see you again, Elaine."

"And you as well." Ravencroft said as she ended the hug and turned to face Ironwood and Julia. "James, you remember my former teammate, Theodora Xander."

"How could I forget." Ironwood growled. "You four were one of the few units in the Grimm Incursion that I had no control over."

Theodora and Elaine exchanged a look. "He missed us, how cute." Theodora said. "And I'm sure he also missed our last member who should be calling right about..." The swordswoman paused for a moment, the sound of the ship being hailed breaking the silence. "Now." She finished.

Ironwood sighed, already knowing who was on the other side of that call. "Answer it." He ordered.

The bridge screen activated and an image was shown. It was another woman, this one reclining on what looked like the command seat of a ship. She had neck length but unkempt and messy brown hair that framed a battle hardened face with more than its fair share of scars, the most prominent of which was on her lower lip. She had bright red eyes and her face seemed to be set in a permanent cocky grin. She wore a green, military style trenchcoat that was frayed and torn in several places, as well as a pair of worn out black pants and combat boots. _"Well well well, if it isn't Jimmy Ironwood. Miss me?"_

"Samantha Patton." Ironwood muttered. "I'm guessing you brought your ship?"

"_What, you mean the one I'm calling you from? No, it's still back in Atlas. Of course I brought it, I can't exactly save my fearless leader without it."_

"Thank you, Samantha." Ravencroft said, cutting off the military woman. "Here is what I propose, James. Samantha has an entire crew aboard her ship ready to take to the Abyss. We take her ship, we can get there and destroy the island before you can even get your ship off the ground. We offer you this on the condition that you allow us to save Erik as we burn the island. Do we have a deal?"

Ironwood grit his teeth as he considered the pros and cons of the argument. On one hand, he knew full well Patton still had a perfectly functioning ship left over from the Grimm Incursion, Team FRST knew the Abyss well as they were the first to explore it during the war, and they were right, he could never get _The Rubicon _in the air before they got to the island. On the other hand, he would be surrendering complete control of the operation to a trio of wild cards that Ozpin might have trusted, but he never had. During the war, Team FRST was the one unit in the entire army that he had no control over at all. They obeyed only Ozpin, and aside form that made their own missions. Most of their missions were confidential even to him, but he knew that they were vital to the success of many operations. In the end, though he was hesitant to do so, he made his decision. "Very well, you may go. However, I do have one condition."

Ravencroft raised an eyebrow. "You're hardly in a position to make demands, James, but we will hear you out."

"You want to run this operation, fine, but I'm not letting you run it without Atlas supervision. Therefore, General Julia Gaia will be accompanying you."

Julia turned to the general at the sound of her name. "Sir?"

"I trust Julia more than any of the soldiers I brought with me, so she'll keep an eye on the three of you during this operation. I know you prefer to work without Atlas interfering, but-"

"Very well, we will take her with us." Ravencroft agreed.

"_What she said." _Patton agreed. _"Now get your asses to my ship, on the double. Fearless leader won't last forever."_

"Hold your horses, Samantha, we'll be there soon." Theodora said. She blew a kiss to the warmonger and smirked as she ended the call. "Come on you two, let's get to her ship and get going."

Ravencroft nodded and turned to the generals. "Gaia, grab your weapons and gear and meet us at Samantha's ship, it's the _Cannae. _You can't miss it." With that, she and Theodora turned on their heels and walked off the bridge, Ironwood glaring after them.

Julia couldn't help but notice her commanding officer's expression as the two women left. "Sir?"

"Keep an eye on those three." Ironwood said with a sigh of irritation. "Remember the mission."

Julia snapped a salute. "Yes sir!"

oxoxoxo

Erwin looked out one of the few windows of the mausoleum. It had been some time since the sun had risen over the Abyss, but he had decided to let Vlad and Fantine rest after their escape from the White Fang. The former general turned from the window with a heavy sigh. He had thought he would never see Vlad again, no, he had HOPED he would never see him again. But it seemed life had a cruel sense of humour as it dumped his former colleague right back in his lap. This would not end well for anyone, especially him.

"Having problems, general?" Erwin turned to the source of the voice to see Fantine approaching, the phantom looking remarkably clean for a man who had spent the past few days on a hostile island.

"Fantine." Erwin said with surprise. "I didn't expect you to be awake this early."

The professor nodded. "I am usually a night owl, but on missions I can awaken in the earliest hours of the day. Back to my question, however, is something the matter?"

Erwin sank to the floor and sat down, leaning on one of the stone walls of the mausoleum. "You could say that." He muttered. "It's Vlad."

Fantine cocked his head and folded his arms. "You lied to him yesterday, didn't you?"

Erwin's head shot up. "How did you-"

"Know that?" Fantine finished. "I'm an expert at reading people, and you are a terrible liar. I'm guessing you were telling the partial truth or perhaps simply hiding some details, as you were able to weave quite the story. Am I correct?"

"How did Vlad not notice?" Erwin mused.

"To Mister Paler, you were a brother. He would accept any story that meant you were still alive." Erik explained. "I, however, do not see you as such. After all, I never even met you. You will have to tell him, you know."

Erwin sighed again and stood up, dusting himself off as he did. "I know. I'm just hoping I can make it easy on us both."

"Then it's best you tell him as soon as possible. Perhaps the best time would be once we escape this hell."

Erwin nodded. He looked up to the phantom and opened his mouth to speak, when a massive force struck the walls of the fortress, the sound like thunder shaking the structure and knocking dust loose from the ceiling. "What was that?" He demanded.

"**Humans in the mausoleum!" **Yelled a voice from outside. **"This is Commander Caroline Leon of the White Fang! My men and I have you completely surrounded, surrender and you will not be harmed! Resist, and we will knock down your walls and take you in by force!"**


	24. Chapter 21: Lioness Pride

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 21**

**oxoxoxo**

Julia Gaia stared out the windows of Samantha Patton's ship, _The Cannae _as Vale gradually started to fade into the distance. General Ironwood had given her little information on any of the members of Team FRST, aside from telling her that each member was dangerous, and she soon found out why he was so secretive. Nearly every mission carried out by the team was classified. Her attempt to research them on her scroll revealed little, as they were buried in so much red tape. A part of her was nervous, flying off into danger with these women, but at the same time, she was somewhat excited. Patton had told her she would likely be placed in charge of the ship once they got to The Abyss, as the three of them would be personally looking for their leader. It was that thought that had her standing on the bridge of the ship, watching as Vale sank behind the horizon.

"Enjoying the view?" Patton asked, still slumping in her seat as she watched her crew bustle about the bridge.

Julia turned away from the window and looked to the general. "It never does get old to see world from an airship." The general answered. "Though I never expected I'd see the inside of anything even remotely related to your team. Everything you four have done is classified to the point that I can't even access the operation names."

Patton let out a cruel snort of laughter. "Good luck getting any of that." She said, rolling her eyes. "Girly, trust me, you don't want to know half of what we did during the war, but since you seem so keen about wanting to know what we did, I'll make you an offer. How would you like the abridged version of Team FRST's operations during the last Grimm Incursion?"

Julia stepped closer to Patton and folded her arms. "How much can you tell me?"

Patton shrugged and reached into her coat, pulling out a small picture and handing it to Julia. The general looked it over. "That right there is the only official photo of our team, taken just so Ozpin had a record of us being an official team. Considering that photo and a single page are the only records of this team's existence, that should tell you just how much I can reveal. Do you still want to hear it?"

Julia frowned. On one hand, she knew that just hearing what Patton had to say would leave her only wanting more, but at the same time, she did want to know more about the people she was flying into the jaws of death with. Her decision made, Julia looked Patton straight in the eye and spoke. "Tell me."

Patton let out another snort of laughter and leaned back in her chair. "Alright," She said, sighing slightly. "Let me think. What can I tell you?" The bridge was nearly silent as the veteran scratched her chin in thought, the only sounds being those of the ship's engines as they flew towards the Abyss. "There really isn't much I can say, but I can say one thing: in every war, there are those individuals who will stand against their own best interests, those who want their side to lose the war. They failed."

Julia was stunned by the implications. People who wanted humanity to lose the war? Those who stood against the kingdoms? "Who were they? What did you do?"

"She can't tell you." Said a new voice. Julia turned to the door to the bridge to see Ravencroft and Theodora standing in the door. "Our missions are classified for a reason, General Gaia. If the people of Vale, of any kingdom knew what we did during the war..." Ravencroft trailed off before frowning to herself. "It would not be pleasant, shall we say."

"But if you stopped a cult that wished death upon all of humanity, wouldn't the kingdoms praise your actions?" Julia demanded. "If your actions saved the people of Vale, why classify them?"

The general felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see it was Theodora who placed it there, the brunette woman looking at her with a pained expression. "Julia, trust me, you don't want to hear what happened."

"But what happened may have saved all of Vale!" The general protested.

"But it was classified for a reason." Patton said, slouching in her seat. "Trust me, girly, it's better you don't know."

Julia turned to Ravencroft, hoping that maybe she could get some hidden detail from the black garbed woman. Against all odds, the raven haired professor smiled. Not a joyful smile, or even a cruel one, but one of pity, as though the Atlesian general were walking into her own demise. "I'll tell you what, General Gaia." She said softly, her voice just barely audible over the sound of the engines. The entire bridge seemed to go silent as the professor spoke, her words quiet, but that silence weighed down on Julia like an Ursa on her back. "If we make it out of this mission alive, with Erik safely aboard this ship, I'll tell you more. Until then, we focus on the mission. We have maybe an hour before we arrive at the Abyss, so make ready for your job. It won't be an easy one."

oxoxoxo

Fantine dove on Erwin and threw him to the ground as a shell from the White Fang artillery punched through the walls of the mausoleum, dust raining down from above as the structure shook with the impact. Erwin groaned as he began to rise. "You sure your evac will get here in time?" He muttered.

"I certainly hope so." Fantine said, rising to his feet and dusting himself off. "It would behove them to get here quicker, however."

"What the hell is going on out here?!" Vlad demanded, storming into the main chamber. "Why is the building shaking? And who the hell is screaming at us?"

"Ah, Vlad, so good of you to join us." Fantine said with a roll of his eyes. "It seems we didn't cover our tracks well enough. The White Fang have found us."

Vlad stormed over to the nearest wall and slammed his fist into it, shaking more dust loose from the wall. "DAMMIT! It's the Night Attack all over again! Those animals will be the death of me!"

Erwin chose to ignore his comrade's ravings and quietly made his way to a shell hole in the wall. Carefully, he leaned up and peaked through the hole. In his one moment of sight he saw the entire enemy force, his photographic memory making a record of the force.

Fantine folded his arms. "What are we up against?"

Erwin cringed as his head throbbed. His semblance allowed him to look at an enemy force and instantly figure out the best way to defeat it. However, in situations like this, where they stood no chance, his own ability became his worst enemy, his own mind rending itself as it attempted to form a winning strategy where none existed. "Looks like about forty men." Erwin said. "Divided into groups of ten, each group escorting an artillery piece, all armed with swords and rifles." He cringed again as a shot of pain struck his mind. "Then there's their commander. Taller than the rest with a bigger gun. Looks like it could take down an Ursa in one shot."

"Sounds familiar." Said Fantine. The phantom peaked out the shell hole for a look of his own, masking his attention with an illusion over the hole. "It's the commander from the Firebase." He muttered. "She held her own against Vlad when we attacked them. Looks like she brought her troops, they're all dressed like her."

Vlad snarled at the mention of the White Fang commander. "Well, Erwin, got a brilliant plan for THIS one?" Erwin cringed again as his semblance screamed into his head. "That's what I thought. Alright, you two have seen what they've got, think I could take them with my semblance?"

Fantine crossed his arms and rose to his feet. "You can't hold that semblance forever, and with the amount of guns out there, you'd be a smear on the side of the temple before you reached them."

Vlad snarled again. "So what, do we just wave the white flag? Hope they don't just execute us?"

Another shell slammed into the mausoleum's wall, dust and small stones raining down from the ceiling. "I don't think they have an interest in taking us alive." Fantine pointed out. "What we need is a way out. Erwin, are there any other exits to this temple?"

Erwin got to his feet and nodded. "There's a passage out through the bottom level. It leads into a network of caves that run throughout the underside of the island. We could escape through those, but..."

Fantine raised an eyebrow. "But?"

The general sighed. "The caves are full of the inferri."

"Oh, is that all?" Vlad spat. "So it's either go out there and get our everything shot off, or make our grand escape and ring the dinner bell!"

"The front door is the only entrance to this building." Fantine said, cutting off Vlad's ranting. "If we leave through there, we'll be shot. However, we've all fought our fair share of inferri, and have a chance to get through them alive. I say, take the option of the non intelligent enemy. Erwin, show us the way out."

Outside the temple, Caroline nodded to her men as they fired another of their cannons, the shell breaking another hole in the wall of the temple. She would give the humans inside another minute before she led her troops in and took them dead or alive. The commander had chosen to personally lead this attack, leaving Wun back at the Firebase with an elite guard of ten of her best soldiers. After losing Micca, the last thing she needed was to lose Wun as well. Part of her did still feel guilty though. She had left the young snake behind, taking her men at first light and charging into the forest in a trio of APCs, following the instructions provided by her scouts. Not a word was said to the snake before they left, the lioness simply leaving a note telling Wun that they had gone after the humans and that she was sorry for leaving her behind. The guilt gnawed at her, but she knew that she couldn't afford to lose Wun like her sister.

"Ma'am." Caroline was jerked from her thoughts by the Carolean who approached her and spoke. "The humans are still not responding. What are our orders?"

The lioness frowned. "Bring me ten men from each artillery unit and tell them to form up on me. We're breaking down the door."

The soldier snapped a salute and ran to tell the other men their orders. Caroline pulled her rifle off her back and checked to make sure the gun was loaded. She knew for a fact that Shining Roar could kill anyone in that building with raw firepower, especially since their targets had been moving all night. She and her men were well rested and ready for action, while their targets had likely had little to no sleep. Hopefully they surrendered, but if they didn't, she and her forces were prepared to kill.

It only took seconds before the soldiers were formed up on their commander, with a small advanced guard approaching the door, Caroline following close behind them. A pair of soldiers stepped up to the door with a breeching charge in hand. Working quickly, the two set the charge on the door and armed it. The force stepped back as the detonator was handed to Caroline.

Erwin led Fantine and Vlad into the lower levels of the mausoleum. They had just reached the lowest level when the building shook with an explosion. "I do believe that was the door." Fantine said.

"Hurry up." Erwin urged. "The entrance to the caves is just ahead.

Fantine looked ahead through the dim light of the single torch they had taken and saw what Erwin was talking about. Just ahead of them was a large iron hatch in the floor. It was locked with a par of massive iron bars, bars that he and Vlad immediately set to work moving. All the while, they could hear White Fang soldiers moving about the floors above them.

"Got it!" Vlad said in a harsh whisper.

Erwin nodded and gave a mighty heave on the hatch. With a mighty groan, the door opened, and the three men immediately set to work holding their torch into the cave. The moment they brightened the cave, the men immediately regretted even looking.

The entire cavern was filled to the walls with inferri, and as one the ghouls turned to face the new source of light that shone down on them. At that moment, the entire cavern was silent. The three men were speechless at the sight of the sheer number of monsters in the cave, and the inferri simply stared back, silent and motionless, their dead eyes locking with those of the men, their expressions blank. It was perhaps more disturbing than if they had charged, because that was what inferri generally did. This unnerving, unblinking stare... that was different.

Vlad was the first to move, shoving Erwin and Fantine back and slamming the hatch shut. "Well, that was a bit more than we thought, wasn't it?" He hissed.

"I don't understand..." Erwin muttered. "There were always inferri down there, but I've never seen that many, and I've never seen them act like that."

"Hey! I heard something down here!"

The voice from above caught the attention of the three survivors, all three turning to the stairs as the sound of hurried footsteps grew ever closer. Fantine grabbed Vlad and Erwin, covering their mouths and hauling them back.

A pair of Caroleans entered the room only a second later, both instantly raising their rifles as they searched the room for any sign of life. "You sure you heard something?" One asked, rifle still raised.

"Yeah, something big." Said the other. "Hey, look at that." He said, pointing to the iron hatch. "Maybe that was it."

"Think they escaped down the hatch?" The first man asked.

"Help me get it open, let's see if they could." The second said. Holstering their rifles, the two men made their way to the hatch. As they walked past, Fantine held onto Erwin and Vlad as his power of illusion disguised them as a large rock. As the two soldiers pulled open the hatch, Vlad tightened his grip on his halberd. Fantine quickly grabbed the former general and covered his mouth, shooting him a frozen glare that held him in place. At the sound of movement, the two Caroleans turned to face the illusory rock, weapons raised. The two faunus shared a look as they advanced on the rock. Fantine held his hand over Vlad's mouth as the soldiers approached, all three men desperately trying to remain silent as the two soldiers circled the stone. Eventually, the two men shared a look and nodded, holstering their guns and walking back to the iron hatch.

Erwin bit his lip to resist the urge to sigh in relief as the two men pulled open the hatch and gazed inside. Within seconds, they threw the door shut, an expression of near terror on their faces. "Something tells me they wouldn't have made it ten paces in there." One said.

"Then what was the noise down here?" The other asked. "It sounded just like the door."

"Maybe something fell on it." The first man said, knocking the butt of his rifle against the door.

The second man looked like he was about to reply when another voice called down from above. "You two find anything?"

The two soldiers turned to the stairs to see a third man enter the room, rifle held loosely. "Doesn't look like there's anyone down here, sir." The first man answered, the two soldiers snapping a salute.

The new soldier gave a nod to the man who answered. "Come on, let's get back to the commander. We've got men all over this place. If those three humans show their faces, we'll catch them."

The two men nodded and followed the third man back up the stairs to the upper levels. The second their footsteps could no longer be heard, Vlad shook himself loose of Fantine's grip. "What was that all about? We could have easily killed those idiots and thrown them down the hatch!" The deserter hissed.

"And had the entire force know our location?" Erwin asked in a similar tone. "Your semblance won't last forever, especially against that much firepower."

"Enough." Fantine hissed. We need to get out of here somehow. I say we follow those men and walk out of here in uniform. I can disguise us, but don't speak unless spoken to, and don't move until I give the order. Got it?" Erwin nodded, and Vlad snarled in affirmation. "I can make this hallway look empty as we leave, but you need to stay quiet. Let's move." With that, Fantine's eyes glowed bright blue, as Carolean uniforms materialized over the three men, their weapons disguised as those employed by the White Fang, with Erik's rapier becoming a White Fang sword, Erwin's revolver-kukri becoming a standard issue pistol, and Vlad's halberd becoming a long rifle.

The three men quietly crept up the stairs to the upper levels, constantly on the lookout for any soldiers. They knew full well this was where their plan could go completely wrong. If even one enemy soldier caught them, even their illusory disguises would not save them. After all, the White Fang knew how many soldiers went down to the lower levels. Luckily, they didn't cross any soldiers as they climbed the stairs to the main level, however, their fortunes soon changed as they arrived on the main floor.

Erwin took a quick peek out the entrance to the lower levels before immediately coming back around the corner, wincing as his semblance tore at his mind once again. "We've got a problem." The general whispered, sitting on one of the stairs and holding his head.

Fantine crouched down to face level with the diminutive general. "And that would be?"

The general looked up from his hands and into the phantom's eyes. "The entire White Fang force is in there. If we step out, we'll be spotted instantly."

"And then shot." Fantine mused. He stood up and scratched his chin in thought. "We need to remain hidden until their force moves on." With a frown, Fantine activated his semblance once again, the Carolean uniforms disappearing as the professor put up an illusion over the entrance, making the stairway look empty. "And now we wait."

Caroline stepped into the center of the main chamber of the mausoleum. Her men had decided that this chamber would be their rally point in the search for their enemies. With over half her force still outside on lookout and the rest of her force stationed here, there would be no way for the humans to escape, not without first being spotted. "All squads, report." The lioness ordered.

"Upper levels are clear." One soldier announced. "We found a stash of ammunition and rations, so there might be someone else in this place."

"Ground level is clear." Another soldier reported. "No signs of life."

"Lower levels clear." A third soldier said. "We found what might have been an escape hatch, but it was full of rotters."

"Think they could have made it out through there?" Caroline asked.

"Not a chance, Commander." The Carolean answered. "The cave was full to the walls. If they went in, they weren't going to come out."

Caroline frowned. She looked like she was about to speak again, when her scroll began to ring. The entire chamber went silent at the noise, even Caroline herself seeming to be surprised. She pulled the communicator out of her pocket and answered. "Leon."

"_Commander!"_ Caroline's eyes went wide behind her mask. It was Wun. _"You need to come back!" _The snake hissed over the communicator.

In any other situation, Caroline would have told the young snake that she was on a mission and could not be distracted, but the tone of Wun's voice told her this was absolutely serious. "Wun, what's going on?"

"_Commander, the base has been evacuated." _Wun whispered. _"The humans took off this morning after you left, Blanch, Bartholomew, all of them are gone." _Wun was silent for a moment after that, but Caroline didn't speak, part of her in fear of what the snake girl might say. She could hear hushed tones form the other side of the call and the sound of a door being shut and barricaded. _"They locked the rest of us inside the base, Commander. We're trapped here, and those... things are crawling all over the base."_

"Wun, what do you mean?" Caroline demanded, her grip tightening on both her rifle and scroll. "How did they get inside?"

"_We're not sure, but they're all over the base. Commander – Caroline – please. Help."_

Caroline was about to answer, but the sound of a shattering door and gunfire from the other side interrupted her. She heard the scroll fall to the ground and the call was cut off. "Wun? Wun? Are you there?"

"Commander?" One of her soldiers spoke up. "Your orders?"

The lioness grit her teeth. Of everything that could have happened today, this was something she never imagined could go wrong. With the end of the call, she was left with two choices: stay and search for the humans, hoping Wun could handle herself, or retreat and save her sister. Caroline snarled at the thought of these humans escaping, but at the same time knew that after losing Micca, she couldn't bear to lose another sister. "Men, move out. Give the order to set the charges by the base of the mausoleum and retreat, we're saving our comrades!"

A collective shout arose from the room. "Yes ma'am!"

Fantine and company watched as the faunus soldiers began to disperse, the phantom waiting until just the right moment before switching the illusions, making them look like Caroleans once again. Silently, he gestured for Vlad and Erwin to follow him as they made their way through the mausoleum towards the exit. They never dared to allow themselves to get too close to the faunus, knowing that many of them possessed a superior sense of smell, and scent being something Fantine's illusions did not cover. The three of them managed to make it to the door and exit the temple, walking into the light of midday to see the bustling forces outside the temple. Several soldiers were still on guard duty, with rifles at the ready just in case they tried to make an escape, and the artillery pieces were being packed up one at a time, in case the Caroleans needed some extra firepower. Soldiers were moving quickly, however, with two of the pieces already packed up and soldiers already setting demolitions charges at the base of the mausoleum, it seemed their work would be done before long.

"I know they were trying to kill us not five minutes ago, but you do have to admire their hard work." Erwin noted as the three men quietly entered the woods, Fantine shifting their illusions to make them invisible among the trees.

"No." Vlad answered. "No I don't. Animals are meant to carry burdens sometimes. These ones just do it faster than others."

"Be silent!" Fantine hissed. "The last thing we need is to be spotted thanks to your bickering!" Fantine cast his gaze back to the mausoleum, where the last of the cannons was being packed up, and the soldiers were finishing setting the demolitions charges. Caroline stepped out of the temple behind a throng of her soldiers and gave the men outside a nod of affirmation. As the final cannon was packed, Caroline and the last of her men piled into the APCs, one soldier handing the commander a small remote. As the truck she sat in roared to life, Caroline muttered just three words to herself. Three words that were silently echoed by all the men and women she brought with her that day.

"Burn in hell."

With those words, Caroline pressed the button, detonating the charges along the base of the mausoleum. With a sound like thunder, the charges went off and the earth shook. The noise only grew ever louder as the mausoleum collapsed, the massive structure crumbling to the ground, landing in its own footprint and sending a massive cloud of dust into the air around it. Had Caroline stayed behind just a second longer, the sheer amount of dust would have revealed the human's location, but it was not to be as the lioness and her soldiers frantically drove back to their base. Their brothers and sisters needed to be saved.

The drive out to the mausoleum had taken about an hour as they had to clear a path through the trees , and ensure they set up their weapons in the optimal firing positions relative to the only entrance to the structure. The drive out had been nerve wracking as they had been tracking not only a seasoned huntsman, but also a veteran general of a war against their kind. The force she had taken may have seemed like using a truck to crush an ant, but in her eyes, the force she brought was just enough for the job. They may have been many, but the enemies they had cornered were dangerous, and the cornered beowolf is the most likely to bite.

Of course, there was another reason she had brought so large a force after only two men, but until that moment, she did not want to admit it. What had shaken her the most about the attack two nights ago wasn't that enemies had managed to infiltrate the base, it wasn't that she encountered the man who had butchered so many of her brothers and sisters in arms, and it wasn't even that every intruder managed to escape. No, what had gotten under her skin the most was that she had lost one of the people closest to her. The lioness tightened her grip on her rifle. Micca and Wun had been her closest companions since the first day she joined the White Fang, they had grown close in their commonalities of deceased fathers and hatred for humanity.

Casting her mind back only five years, Caroline could easily remember the first night she met the snake sisters. She was seventeen and had brought herself out to a White Fang recruitment meeting, a dark blue hoodie covering her body with the hood up over her mane of blonde hair, a new Grimm mask over her face and her father's rifle in hand, the massive gun making her seem all the smaller. The meeting had just ended, and she had just left the building, standing under a nearby awning and watching as the meeting's attendees dispersed into the night. She leaned her father's rifle against the wall of the building she took shelter next to and pulled the mask off her face, looking into the eyes of the monster the mask portrayed. She let out a sigh. She knew her father hated the organization, especially its more violent tendencies, but with him gone and humanity all but eager to forget him, someone had to reclaim his honour. However, she knew there were other options. Perhaps a hunter academy would see her skill and recruit her, maybe she could seek out the last man on her father's team and learn from him. Neither option seemed likely, as hunter academies did still hold some amount of prejudice against her kind, with some teachers willing to look the other way when a faunus student was attacked. The last man from her father's team seemed a better option, but from the reports she had gotten, he had become a recluse ever since the end of the Grimm Incursion. There were some rumours that he might be in contact with Beacon academy, but as far as she knew, those were just rumours, as Curtis Marlow was rarely seen in public. She let out another sigh as she just stared at the mask she held, running her thumbs over the eyes of the mask.

The young lioness was torn from her thoughts by a scream. From the sound of it, it was a young girl, and it sounded close. The throngs of faunus had thinned to nothing, but there were still many on the streets, many you still clearly heard the scream. However, many were simply pretending not to notice. It didn't take a genius to figure out why. After all, the only thing that happened here recently was a meeting of the White Fang, so it was more than likely the White Fang meeting participants who were screaming. The animals that much of humanity wanted nothing to do with. That thought made Caroline snarl as she placed her mask back on her face. Taking up her father's rifle, she made for the direction of the scream, her keen sense of hearing leading her to an alleyway near the meeting building, the heavy sound of rain masking her footsteps as she drew ever closer, taking cover by the wall just outside the alley. Taking a deep breath, she risked a glance into the alley and was instantly disgusted by what she saw. In the alley were two young girls, their similar shades of mango coloured hair marking them likely as sisters while their slitted eyes marked them as snake faunus, fast, and likely venomous. However, it is hard to feel the strength of one's venom, when one is held against a wall by the throat with a knife levelled against her throat. A large human was doing just that to the smaller of the two, a small girl who could not have been much older than ten, petite and thin. The other must have been older, as she was taller and her face looked more mature, even while stained by terror. The human brandished his knife, running the blunt end over the younger girl's throat. "Scream again, little snake, and your sister dies. Your choice." Caroline could see tears welling up in the older girl's eyes, but she bit her tongue and held back. "Good girl." The human said mockingly. "Now, the two of you are going to come with me. Make a move to escape or do anything other than what I ask, and she dies. Got it?" The older sister nodded as the human grabbed the younger girl, knife to her back, and began to lead the two girls out of the alley, towards where the lioness hid.

Caroline pulled herself back around the corner and gulped heavily. She knew that if she let the human escape, those two girls were as good as dead, or worse. Taking a deep breath, the young girl employed the special training her father had given her, and activated her semblance, feeling all emotion drain from her as she stepped into the alley ahead of the human, rifle raised. "Not another step, human." She said, voice devoid of any emotion.

The human looked worried for just a moment, staring down the barrel of _Shining Roar _as he took a step back in surprise. However, that didn't last long, as the human soon cracked a smile and was soon letting out a bellowing and hearty laugh. "Well, looky here, if it isn't the White Fang's baby teeth!" He said before another round of guffaws claimed him. "Word of advice, little girl, it isn't a good idea to get between a hunter and his prey, maybe you know that from your days in the wild."

If the human was expecting an emotional response, he wasn't about to get one, as Caroline just stared down the sights of her rifle at him. "I'll give you one chance, human." Caroline said, once again voice monotone. "Let the girls go. Do it and I let you live."

The human looked between the girl holding the rifle, and the two he held captive. The taller of the two had pressed herself up against the wall of the alleyway, while the younger still glared at him from where she was held, tears in her eyes as he held his knife to her neck. "You're going to make demands of me?" He said, brandishing his knife and pointing it at her. "I see your finger touch the trigger in a way I don't like and this pretty little thing here dies." He said, running a hand over the young girl's face. Caroline could see the girl snarl with revulsion, baring her young fangs as he ran his hand over her chin. "I'd hate to waste such a fine young lady, so I'm going to suggest you step out of the way and let me and my new pets leave. Got it, little animal?"

Caroline didn't take a step. "I'll give you one last chance to let her go." Caroline said. She looked at the younger girl that the human was still holding hostage. "Don't spit on my offer again." She said pointedly. Her plan was a gamble, and she knew it, the success of her plan depended entirely on whether or not she was right about this one young girl and hoping she understood her message.

The human brandished his knife once again. "Last chance, beast. Take a hike, or the little one dies." He said, running the blunt end of her knife over her cheeks. The second the blade left her neck, however, the young girl sprung into action, twisting herself to face him and spitting a spray into his face. The human screamed in pain as the venomous spit hit its mark in his eyes, burning and blinding him. In his panic, he held both hands up to his face and dropped the young girl. She hit the floor of the alley and instantly lay on her stomach, hands over her head, giving Caroline the perfect shot. She squeezed down on the trigger, a large calibre round flying from the barrel of her gun and striking the human dead in the forehead, sending him to the ground and ending his screams.

Letting her semblance deactivate, Caroline examined her handiwork, shaking as she did. She had shot Grimm during hunts with her father, but this was the first time she had ever shot a sentient being. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself as she approached the two girls, the older one pulling the younger off the ground and into a tight hug. "Are you two okay?" Caroline asked, concerned, voice shaking as she asked.

The older girl just nodded, the younger one answering "I'm okay. Thank you for saving us..." She said.

Caroline let out a deep breath and leaned her rifle against the wall of the alleyway. "I wish I didn't have to, but with people like him around, we faunus have to stick together."

The younger girl stepped forward and caught the lioness in a tight embrace. "Thank you..." She muttered into Caroline's hoodie. "Thank you thank you thank you..." She continued muttering. Caroline could feel tears as the young girl continued.

The older sister approached and looked the lioness right in the eye. "You saved us. Thank you so much. Is there anything we can do for you?"

Caroline managed to free her arms from the younger snake's embrace and pulled her hood and mask from her face, revealing her long, blonde hair and golden eyes. She attempted to give a smile and said "You can tell me your names, perhaps?"

"R-right." The older girl said, nodding. "I'm Micca, Micca Sol. My little sister-"

"I can say my own name." The little sister interrupted, pulling her face from Caroline's now tear stained chest. "I'm Wun."She muttered, Caroline straining her ears to hear the young girl's words.

"Caroline." The lioness said, putting a hand on both girls' shoulders. "My name is Caroline Leon." Thunder crashed above, lightning lighting up the sky as the rain above continued to fall. Caroline chanced a look up above them, a smile lighting up her face for a moment. "And it seems I didn't need to save you after all."

Wun and Micca followed her eyes to the rooftops above them where several figures stood. A flash of lightning revealed them for who they were, each one dressed in a white robe with a grey hood and a Grimm mask over their face, all armed and all simply silently looking down into the alleyway. The White Fang had been there the whole time.

Caroline smiled nostalgically as she remembered that night. It had been her first kill, but she had also met the two girls who she held as her most trusted agents and friends even to this day. While one may have been gone, the other remained at her side. And no one, not a human or a ghoul was going to take her away.

"Commander!"

Caroline was jerked from her thoughts by the voice of the APC's driver. "We're just outside the firebase. Cobra's last transmission came from inside, but the base is in lockdown, no one gets in or out. Your orders?"

The lioness stood up as the truck came to a halt. "Ready any remaining breeching charges and set them on the nearest door." She said, readying her rifle. "Everyone else, lock and load. Once we get inside, know that the enemy may well be everywhere. If you have a clear shot for an enemy, take it. Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes, and when you do, put a bullet in them. Remember though, some of our men are still in there, and so is one of your lieutenants. Check your fire. Understood?"

"YES MA'AM!"

"Then get ready. I want everyone inside the second the dust clears from those charges!" Activating her semblance, she repressed the emotions of all her men, the shaking hands of the nervous growing still and the scowls of the angered becoming flat expressions.

**(Author's Note: Music begins here. Song: Carolus Rex by Sabaton)**

At her words, the soldiers instantly mobilized, scrambling from the APCs and readying weapons. In less than a minute, twenty rifles were aimed at the chosen door, a large garage meant to allow armoured vehicle entrance, as the breeching charges were placed. The demolitions expert turned to Caroline. "Charges are primed, awaiting your command, ma'am."

Caroline nodded and readied her own rifle. "Do it."

The demolitions expert nodded and pulled out a small remote. With a push of a button, the charges on the door detonated. The first thing the soldiers heard from inside was the sound of shuffling feet and moans of pain. before the dust had even settled, several inferri were already shuffling out to greet them. The Caroleans acted fast, each one opening fire, the sheer volume of bullets turning the oncoming creatures to mush. Caroline and her men were inside in a second, rifles raised as they scanned the inside of the garage. No signs of life. "Move to the inner door." Caroline ordered. "Break it down, and get us inside."

The troops nodded and moved into position. A soldier stepped up to the door, reared back and kicked, the door flying off its hinges and revealing the lengthy hallway extending to the right and left. Two squads were instantly inside, each one taking up a position facing either direction, the first men in taking a knee while the others stood behind them, all aiming and firing as soon as they saw the inferri within. As soon as the halls were cleared of the infected, one of the soldiers rose to his feet. "Clear!"

Caroline stepped into the hall once the signal was given. "We don't know which way Wun and her remaining troops are, so we're going to split up. Half of you will go left, while I lead the other half right. Kill any inferri you see, and if you find survivors, you make a call to me. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am." The soldiers collectively and emotionlessly responded.

"One final order." Caroline continued. "If anyone is bitten, protocol is amputation of the bitten limb immediately. If amputation is impossible, make their deaths quick." There were no words at Caroline's last order, only a grim nod of understanding. "Move out, we have brothers and sisters to save."

The Caroleans saluted their commander and let out a collective "Yes ma'am!" before splitting up.

Caroline turned to her men and looked over each one. "Affix bayonets and be ready. We don't want to shoot our own." At her orders, the soldiers attached their bayonets and turned to the other end of the hall. Caroline broke into a light run, making sure her soldiers could keep up. Rounding a corner, she was immediately met with more inferri. The closest to her was immediately met with a bayonet to the throat. Ii hissed in pain before Caroline silenced it with a bullet into its mouth and out the back of its head, into the head of another monster. As she pulled her bayonet back, the rest of her men rounded the corner. Many of the ghouls were brought down in the ensuing hail of gunfire, with one that was missed having its head crushed by the butt of Caroline's rifle. As the hallway lay silent, the echoes of gunfire fading, the soldiers took only the shortest amount of time to reload before Caroline led them off again, inferri already pouring into the hallway. The soldiers didn't even stop, instead opting for a slow march as they continuously fired, each round finding its place in the head of a ghoul as the undead lines shuffled and shambled, their hunger for flesh driving them forward. As the lines grew thinner, the lioness and her soldiers began to advance faster, some still firing, but others, led by Caroline, drove the bayonets on their rifles into the skulls of the beasts, using them as makeshift firing stands to kill any others still standing.

Caroline kicked the remains of a ghoulish skull off her rifle before turning to her men. No casualties so far. Cocking her ear, the lioness could hear the faint sounds of movement further down the hallway. The sound of gunfire told her just what was going on. "Men, this way!" She ordered. At her words, the Carolean ranks broke into a charge, surging through the base like a tsunami, the sounds of gunfire and screams growing closer with every step. Rounding another corner, the soldiers were met with the source of the noise.

Held up in the commander's office was a unit of ten Carolean soldiers, using the door to her office to funnel the ghouls into an easier target. The commander's force arrived just in time for the final shots to be fired, bringing down the last of the ghouls in the hall. "Good work men." Said a very familiar voice. "Caroline would be proud."

Deactivating her semblance for just a moment, Caroline instantly recognized the voice. "Wun!" The commander pushed her way into her office, past the soldiers to see the sorry state of the operation. About twenty White Fang soldiers were held up in the office, each one wounded in some capacity. The Caroleans by the door were holding the monsters back from the wounded. Running the operation was Wun, the younger snake sister having pulled back her hood to reveal her mango coloured hair, her wrist mounted crossbows on full display. "What happened here?"

"Caroline!" Wun cried, leaping into the arms of the lioness. "I don't know what happened, After you left, the humans disappeared, then the doors locked and suddenly the base was full of these... these monsters! I didn't know what to do, so I thought of what you would do and-"

"And you managed to rally the survivors and put up a good defence." Caroline said, looking at the ruined door to what was once her office. The room was in shambles, an overturned desk acting as cover for three men who seemed to be the last line of defence before the enemy would reach the wounded, the remains of the door lying in pieces by the desk and numerous disintegrating corpses scattered around the room showed that this was not the inferri's first attack. "I'm proud of you." The commander said. "You saved everyone you could."

"It won't matter if we can't get out of here." Wun said bitterly. "The humans took as many ships as they could fly out of here and blew up the rest. Half the wounded here are those injured in the ship destruction."

"There might be another way out." Caroline said. "When I first found out we'd be running this operation from an old Atlesian Firebase, I did as much research into these bases as possible, and there might be a way out of here. First, we need to get to the control room." Caroline turned to face her men. "This battle isn't over, not by a long shot. There are likely many more of these creatures about, and they WILL make another attack on this position. I need all but ten of you men to remain here. Those ten will accompany Wun and myself to the control room of this base. Decide amongst yourselves who will remain and who will accompany us to the control room." Caroline then pulled out her scroll and linked it to all her remaining troops. "This is Commander Caroline Leon. All remaining Carolean forces are to rally at my office and hold the position until notified otherwise."

A chorus of confirmation answered Caroline as she placed her scroll back in her pocket. Wun approached as the commander watched her soldiers deciding who would follow her. "Are you sure we'll make it out of this one?" Wun quietly asked.

Caroline sighed. "We've done the impossible before, this is just one more mission."

"Ma'am." A Carolean said, getting Caroline and Wun's attention. "We've made our decision."

The lioness nodded. She turned to face Wun and put a hand on the young girl's shoulder. "It's now or never. Are you ready?"

In answer, Wun pulled her hood over her head and loaded her crossbows. "I'm ready when you are, commander."

Caroline nodded and the two walked through the mass of soldiers guarding the door to find the ten who had been chosen to accompany them. "Lock and load, men. We have a control room to take." With her words, Caroline activated her semblance, each of the soldiers taking a calming breath as their emotions were pushed to the backs of their minds. "Anything dead dies again. Wun, stay behind us. If there are any larger Grimm, you're going to help me kill them." Wun gave a salute in understanding. "Company, move out."

The Caroleans began their forced march to the control room, Caroline leading them with her rifle at the ready. The first corner they rounded, they were instantly met with a small horde of monsters, but a burst of gunfire put each one down in under a second. The blue coated soldiers increased their pace, moving more quickly as they scanned the surrounding halls for any ghouls. The control room was a floor above them, so they needed to get to a flight of stairs if they wanted to get there. An elevator was too risky, it could open into the bulk of the horde and they would be cornered. Luckily, Caroline knew this base well, having explored every inch of it upon her arrival, and she knew that around the next corner was just the flight of stairs she needed.

The troop rounded the next corner, all guns raised as they did. Seeing the area was clear, Caroline turned to her men. "This staircase leads up to the control room." She said. "Wun, you and I will be heading up there, the rest of you, stay here and dig in, I don't want anything following us up."

"Commander, are you sure you don't want more backup?" One soldier asked.

"I'm afraid not." The lioness answered. "The control room isn't that big, and I don't want to risk damaging the controls with too much gunfire. I'm already sceptical with how long this base has been up here." Caroline frowned. She knew in a normal situation, her plan would work, but this base had been largely unattended for months until the White Fang arrived, and with the inferri loose, it might have been damaged even further. "You men stay here. Wun, let's go."

The snake nodded, and the two broke into a run up the stairs as the Caroleans settled into firing formation at the base of the steps. There were no ghouls on the way up, but somehow, that only put Caroline even more on edge. Nearly every corner they had come through in this base had been full of the creatures, why was this staircase empty. Something wasn't right.

It wasn't long before she realized just what was wrong.

At the top of the stairs, the door to the control room had been smashed to pieces and the very audible sound of slurping and snarling was made very audible. Caroline held a finger to her mouth, gesturing for silence as she and Wun approached the control room, each one taking cover on either side of the door. Silently, Caroline peaked her head through the door. What she saw on the other side left her white in the face.

The room was possibly the largest room in the base, easily triple the size of her office, with several different control panels lining the room. However, none of those caught her attention. No, Caroline's eyes were immediately drawn to the massive behemoth sitting in the middle of the room. It was the source of the noise they had heard on the way up, the massive human-like Grimm snarling before taking a bite out of one of the many corpses that lay at its feat. Caroline's rage only grew as she noticed that every single one of the bodies was wearing a White Fang uniform, and some of them had been kneecapped before the inferri killed them.

Caroline grit her teeth before turning to face Wun. She knew that her best chance to kill the creature was with her rifle, but one misplaced shot could ruin their chances of escape if it hit the wrong target. She needed to make the best of what she had, and she had the perfect plan to do so. Caroline pointed to the snake girl before gesturing into the control room, particularly, up to the hanging lights on the ceiling.

Wun gave a wordless nod as she crept into the room. Distracted by its feeding, the behemoth didn't even notice as the cobra quietly made her way to a wall and began to climb, grabbing a hold of any handholds she could get, or making her own with her blades, stabbing them into the walls, making sure to do so precisely in time with the monster's chewing as to cover up the noise. One false move, and the monster would hear her, and it would be game over. As she reached the ceiling, Wun let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She pulled one blade out of the wall and turned to face the closest hanging light. She tensed her legs as she judged the distance between her and the light, estimating it to be about five feet out. She needed to get this one right.

Caroline tensed up, hands clenching around her rifle. Part of her knew Wun had made bigger jumps than this, but the rest of her was still caught up on losing one snake, the last thing she needed was to lose the other.

Wun took a deep breath and waiting until the behemoth picked up another corpse. In her head, she counted down the seconds before it put the poor faunus in its mouth. The second it did, she sprung into action, retracting her blade and leaping off the wall, grabbing onto the hanging light and scrambling up onto it.

That was when things began to go wrong. The behemoth, might have missed the sound of Wun climbing, but it heard the swinging lights above it. Snarling, the massive creature looked up to see Wun looking right back down at it. The monster bared its massive, bloody fangs and snarled again, growling in the back of its throat. It let out a roar and hurled the remains of the corpse it held at Wun, the snake leaping to another light as the body sailed past her and splattered against the ceiling.

Caroline took in a sharp intake of breath as Wun dodged the corpse. The behemoth turned to face her again, picking up another body to throw. Wun tensed for another dodge, but Caroline wasn't about to take that risk. Gripping her rifle tight, she charged, stabbing her bayonet into the monster's back as it turned away from her. The beast roared in pain as Caroline pulled her weapon back and ducked under a massive fist. As the monster attacked, Wun struck, leaping from the light and jamming both her blades into the monster's neck. Again, the beast roared and attempted to crush the young snake, but Wun leapt from the creature before it could get its hands on her, vaulting over the behemoth's head and landing next to Caroline, both of them raising their weapons as they stood with their backs to the door.

'_The door!' _Caroline realized, eyes widening behind her mask. "Wun, I have an idea. We need to get behind him."

"Any idea how to do that?" Wun questioned as the beast wound itself up into a fury, snarling and growling at them.

"We'll need to improvise for that." Caroline replied.

The behemoth was apparently tired with their talk, as it snarled one last time before letting out a massive bellow and charging. Wun and Caroline dove in opposite directions to dodge, but the creature lashed out and slammed a meaty fist into Wun, sending her flying into Caroline, knocking _Shining Roar _out of Caroline's grip and sending it skittering across the floor. The two recovered just as the creature made another charge. This time, Caroline dove out of the way, while Wun leapt over the creature, driving her blades into its back and dragging them down as she slid down its back. The monster roared in agony as both faunus ran in separate directions, Wun seemingly running for the door.

Predatory instincts taking over, the behemoth charged after its fleeing prey, leaping at the cobra and snatching her up in one meaty fist, binding her arms to her sides. Wun struggled as she attempted to escape, but the creature's grip was too tight. The monster raised her to its face and snarled as it looked her in the eye. It let out a massive roar, spittle and blood flying from its mouth and spraying the young snake, the girl screwing her eyes and mouth shut in disgust and terror. The behemoth began to tighten its grip, trying to crush its captive into a bloody pulp. Wun could feel the pressure beginning to build against her ribs as it became harder and harder to breathe.

Just as she was sure something would crack, a single shot rang out, a bullet tunnelling through the monster's skull and embedding itself in the door frame. As the monster fell limp and released its grip, Wun clambered over its slowly disintegrating corpse to see Caroline, rifle in hand, the barrel still smoking after firing the killing shot. The lioness gave a sad smile. "This is the second time I've saved you from something that had you in its grip. And with another perfect headshot."

"Was that what took you so long?" Wun asked as she tried in vain to clean the monster's spittle off her robe and face.

Caroline stepped forward and hugged the diminutive snake, pulling her head into her chest. "I'm glad you're okay." The embrace didn't last long as Caroline soon held her at arm's length by her shoulders. "Come on, let's make our escape. Start activating these consoles, I'll call up the men from downstairs to help us run them all." Wun nodded and took off, switching on every console not too damaged to work as the commander raised her scroll and made her call. "This is Commander Caroline Leon to the men guarding the control room. The room is clear and your presence is requested inside. We have work to do."

"_Yes ma'am!"_ Came the response. Caroline nodded and pocketed her scroll once again as Wun finished activating the consoles.

"So what's the escape plan?" The young snake asked. "Deactivate the lockdown and steal a bullhead?"

Caroline shook her head. "We've got too many men and far too many wounded for that to work. No, we're escaping my way." As Caroline spoke, her men arrived, filing one by one into the room and standing at attention, each one doing their best to ignore the corpses in the center of the room. Caroline turned to face them. "At ease, men. I want two of you to clear the bodies out of the room and get them into body bags. The rest of you, pick a console. These things are designed to be as easy to use as possible, so you should be able to understand their functions. Move out."

A salute later and the Caroleans set to work, two men working to clear out the corpses (their emotions repressed by Caroline's semblance), while the rest each chose a console while Caroline herself took the central one. Wun stepped up behind the lioness as each man and woman stood at their own station. "So, what exactly is your plan of escape?" She asked.

Caroline took a deep breath and flipped one last switch before grabbing a set of levers. As if in response to Wun's question, the entire base began to shake. "You're about to find out." The commander said, once again pulling out her scroll. This time she linked it to the PA system of the base. "All units, brace yourselves for takeoff."

oxoxoxo

Erwin looked over the small White Fang camp that he and his fellow survivors had taken over. The extremists had left in a rush, seemingly after a horde arrived, and had neglected to take their camp with them, leaving behind a crate of supplies and several tents, most of which had been ripped apart, with the exception of one which merely had a hole in it. At the moment, Erwin was on lookout, scanning every inch of the surrounding forests for any approaching inferri while Vlad and Fantine ransacked the camp, desperately searching for anything that might be usable to either survive or escape.

Erwin took a deep breath and idly scanned the clear afternoon sky. A slight movement and the slowly growing sound of rushing wind and roaring engines suddenly caught his attention, and out of curiosity, he shifted his gaze, along with those of Vlad and Fantine. The three of them watched open mouthed as the Atlesian Firebase rose into the sky propelled by engines beneath it. No words were spoken as the structure took off and slowly but surely flew away from the island, heading northwest and slowly gaining speed as it flew away from the island, the sound of engines quickly fading as it gained speed.

Vlad was the first to break the silence. "And there go the animals." He muttered.

"And the only other living things on this island." Fantine growled. "And the only vehicles left here. Would you like to make any other comments, Mister Paler?" The professor said as though speaking to an unruly student.

"Well, just one." Vlad said, going back into the crate he had been searching. "Before that house of animals took off, I found this." He reported, getting out of the box and holding aloft a single red baton. A signal flare. "A ship comes by, like the one spooky here said should arrive, we light this sucker up, and we'll be out of here before you can-"

"Before we can fight our way out of the horde of inferri that thing will attract." Erwin said, cutting him off. "We'd never survive, it would be safer for Erik to call the transport on his scroll and tell them where to pick us up."

Fantine shook his head before something else caught his eye. "Vlad, light the flare."

Erwin was struck dumb. "What? Are you trying to get us killed?"

"No," Fantine replied. "But my scroll is out of power, and if that ship is what I think it is," The phantom said, pointing behind Vlad and Erwin to where a large Atlesian model battleship was closing with the island. "Then we need to be visible to be picked up."

"What about the inferri?" Erwin asked. "This is a big risk."

"It's either this or risk being stranded until another ship flies over this island that no one ever approaches." The professor countered. "Your choice."

oxoxoxo

Julia and Patton looked out the window of _The Cannae's _bridge over the abyss as they made their final approach. In the distance to the north, a plume of red smoke billowed out of the forest. "That must be him." Julia said.

"Them, actually." Patton replied. "The message Fantine sent back to your sister said he was there with General Vlad Paler who went missing here months ago."

Julia turned to face the older woman. "Wait, you mean THE Vlad Paler?"

"The one and only, apparently." Patton said with a shrug. She got up from her seat and turned to her men. "Keep us on approach, Jules and I are going to get the others." The men gave a salute and Patton gestured for Julia to follow her. "So, here's the plan. The ladies and I are heading down to get Erik."

"What do you want me to do?" The Atlesian General asked.

Patton pushed open the doors to the hanger where Ravencroft and Theodora stood waiting, several bullhead dropships waiting for takeoff. "You're staying here." Patton said with a shrug.

"What?!" Julia demanded. "You bring me all the way out here just to bench me?!"

"Not quite." Ravencroft said. "We need someone up here to man the ship while we're gone, and seeing as you have experience as a general and we work best as a team, we're going to have you up here. That, and you have one other assignment, the one you received from James."

The memory of General Ironwood's orders came flooding back to her, what she was to do once she had a ship. "The island... I'm supposed to destroy it."

Ravencroft gave a single nod. "We're going to go down into hell as a team. You're going to go back to the bridge and take command of the ship. In precisely ten minutes, I want you to start burning the island."

"But, you'll all still be down there!" Julia retorted. "You'll be killed!"

"We've gone into worse, trust me." Theodora said, waving a dismissive hand and cocking her hip. "Besides, we've got another job after this."

"Radar picked up another ship leaving the island just before we showed up." Patton explained. "We determined it to be an Atlesian Firebase model, a flying fortress likely from previous operations here about six months ago. We don't know who was on it, but based on how far those things can usually fly without the ship that dropped them off, we can determine its landing site. The sooner we finish here, the sooner we can track that thing down and find out if there are any inferri aboard."

Patton walked over to one of the bullheads and pulled open the door while Ravencroft walked to the slowly opening doors to the hanger. Theodora approached Julia and put a hand on her shoulder. "Just think, pretty soon, you'll have your first operation covered in red tape." The belle looked over Julia's form. "At least you look good in red. Oh, be sure to send a bullhead after us when Samantha gives the signal. Look out for a bright blue signal flare, got it?"

Julia looked at the older woman as she raised her voice to be heard over the rushing winds from the now open door. "Wait, aren't you taking one?"

"Clearing a landing zone can get pretty tough, so we have our own landing strategies!" Theodora shouted to be heard over the wind, her hair now blowing in the breeze. "I can catch myself with my weapon, and Samantha's getting a parachute!"

"What about Ravencroft?" Julia shouted, her crimson cape billowing now. "What does she have?" Julia looked over to the professor standing by the now wide open doors to the hanger, her pitch black hair and black feathered cape billowing in the wind.

As though she had heard what the general said, Ravencroft raised her arms and dove out the door. Shocked, Julia broke into a run, prepared to grab a parachute and go after her, but before she could go too far, Theodora grabbed her by her armour and pulled her back to speak in her ear. "Let's just say she has her own landing strategy." At Theodora's words, Ravencroft soared up past the hanger doors again, her massive feathered cape revealing itself in its true form: a giant pair of wings.

Patton was next out the door, with Theodora right behind her, the doors beginning to close as soon as they jumped. Julia, however, remained behind, simply staring at the now closed hanger doors. Just what had Ironwood sent her into? The general shook her head to clear it. She still had a job to do. Turning on her heel, Julia marched back to the bridge, ready to carry out her grisly orders.


	25. Chapter 22: Desperation

**RWBY: Light Extinguished**

**Chapter 22**

**oxoxoxo**

The men watched as the red smoke billowed up into the air, thick and blotting the sun out from their view. Rescue definitely was coming, there wasn't a chance of that flare being missed. But what kept them on their toes was the inhabitants of the island being attracted to it. They did not have to wait long until one of the rotters stumbled out of the canopy towards them. Fantine was quicker on the draw than his comrades, pulling a throwing knife from his suit and flinging it at the Inferri, sticking it right in the forehead and dropping it flat on its back. "Well, damn, I was almost hoping for more of a challenge than that." Vlad chuckled.

"I wouldn't abandon that hope just yet. They're coming. Get ready for the fight of your life, boys." Erwin stated, looking off intently into the forest.

"We got tons of time, Erwin, you know how slow those things are. Only dangerous when they back you into a corner with their numbers."

"It's not them we have to be worried about," Erwin began, pausing for a moment to continue scanning the tree line, "It's the _other _ones that are a danger right now."

"Whatever you say, Frundsberg. We're reunited at last and you're picking up right where we left off. Paranoid and overthinking. You know what, that's the way you've always been, Erwin. Maybe that's why they all died that night, you got calm and now you can't let your guard down for a second, as if you did for any less before." Vlad declared.

"Vlad, stop it, we need to focus!" Fantine snapped.

"Focus on what? By the time they get here the ship will already have picked us up. Don't believe me? Watch," Vlad said, turning and cupping his mouth with his hands as he shouted into the forest, "Hey, you rotting idiots! We're over here! A tasty general, professor, and badass are ready for order! Bon apettit, you freaks!"

"Vlad, knock it off or I swear to God I will shut you up myself!"

Vlad spun around on a dime, beckoning the professor forward, "Bring it, Fantine, I don't mind beating someone with glasses as long as they can't see after I'm done."

Erwin remained oblivious to the squabbling behind him, he was much more fixated on the noises of the forest or, rather, the lack thereof. It was deathly silent, not even the wind or chatter of birds broke it. That was, until something sent a cool wave of fear over Erwin. It was a clicking sound, not much different from woodpecker on a tree but with almost an echo to it, even a snarl tapering off at the end of it every so often. It was then Erwin realized that it wasn't just one clicking noise. It was multiple sources for the clicks in the same general location. Directly behind him. Erwin spun to face his opponent, only to find nothing there. His eyes were caught, however, by what loomed around the still bickering professor and mad man. It appeared like tall, humanoid distortions had surrounded them, Erwin knowing his eyes were not playing tricks on him as he saw them slowly shuffle in. "Move!" Erwin could only manage to shout.

Fantine and Vlad both looked at Erwin in surprise and confusion, just in time to see the invisible beings move in on them. Erik dove in the gap between a pair of them, clearing it, tucking into a ball and somersaulting to land on his feet. The abandoned deserter could only spin in all directions to look at his foes be could barely make out. Suddenly, he reared back as the tearing of cloth, metal and flesh ripped through the air, a pair of jagged, long claws rammed through his back and out his chest only made visible by his own blood on them. Vlad slowly looked down at the blades in his body, trembling hand reaching for them as his breath grew just a shaky, blood beginning to pool in his mouth and cascade down his mailed abdomen. His body was thrown and shaken about violently as more of the unseen beings begin to impale him, through the stomach, chest, back, shoulder, forearm, and calf.

Vlad now stood limp in the center of the ambush, a scarecrow propped up by skewers. The beings that surrounded him began to fade into view. Their skin was a sickly, dark green and deeply cracked, as if they had scales. The claws that riddled Vlad projected out of their wrists in pairs. Their heads were far too large, their brows immensely high and flat. Atop their scalps lay several long, thick tendrils. Most disturbing was their faces. Their jaws hung open with far more of a gape than any human could possibly hope, their chins nearly touching their chests as they roared. And their eyes, purely black and sunken deep into their skulls.

Fantine and Erwin looked on in horror at the pack that had sprung upon their ally. Erik drew his rapier, getting only a step in as Erwin put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. The professor twisted himself free to look at a grinning Erwin, a finger aimed in the direction of the attack as he said, "Watch and learn."

**(Author's note: Music begins here. Song: Tyrant by Judas Priest)**

The Inferri that had stabbed Vlad through the chest leaned in with jaws open wide to inhale his head. Instead, however, Vlad swung his unimpeded arm around and throttled the beast before him. His grip so tight that it began to compress the Inferri's neck, Vlad placed a boot against its chest and kicked it with all his might, the body sailing away and tumbling to a stunned Fantine's feet.

Vlad proceeded ahead as if nothing were wrong, spinning the severed but still-living head on a finger as he dragged the rest of the pack along with him, claws still imbedded in his body, heading for his shotgun. He reached into his pocket and produced a silver shell from his coat pocket, working a toe under his shotgun and catching it, slamming the round into the chamber and cocking his gun. In an instant, Vlad had severed all arms that hung from him, Inferri soaring in all directions as he stood in the epicenter, the blade of his halberd dripping with crimson.

Gaining him some breathing room, Vlad removed the claws from his back, shoulder and stomach, but left the ones poking through his forearm and opposite shin where they were. The holes in his armor and clothing remained but the flesh closed in itself, smoothing out with no signs he had ever been wounded. His mouth was hooked down in a vicious snarl and his pupils were clouded over dark red. The Inferri slowly got to their feet, not even sparing a thought to their severed arms as another set of claws sliced out of the tops of their remaining wrists. Vlad's scowl softened to a sick grin as he saw this, muttering, "Let's see what you freaks got."

As if on cue, the pack descended on Vlad. Bringing his halberd back, he slammed the axe into the crown of the skull first beast to reach him, dropping it to its knees with blade still lodged in its head. Using it as a firing stand, Vlad blasted through the wide open mouth of its lunging companion beyond it. Using the polearm and corpse as a vault, Vlad somersaulted ahead, come down with an axe kick to the skull of another Inferri, spike impaling it and blood pouring down its eternally enraged face. Vlad swung his leg back and catapulted the corpse at the Inferri stalking him from behind, taking it to the ground. Another flanked him from his non-halberd side, claws swinging to remove his head from his shoulders. Vlad reciprocated the swing with his own forearm, the blade jutting through the bottom of his limb slicing through the beast's claws and cheeks, popping the top of its head into the air.

Erik continued to watch with awe, Erwin's arms crossed with a prideful smile spread across his face. "How is he doing that?" Fantine managed to utter.

"It's his semblance. The angrier he gets, the more damage he can tank. We call those things predators. Almost impossible to spot them, you just have to listen for them. They're also completely blind, they basically hunt you down with their other senses. Hard to believe you'd never seen them in your time here, Fantine." Erwin replied.

The member of the back that had been taken down by a corpse sprung to its feet, turning to the chatting duo and charging at them with a spine chilling bellow. Fantine ducked under its swipe but it continued straight for Erwin, arms still crossed. Just as its swing was being loaded over its head, Erwin reached for his dagger with a finger on the trigger. The general brought the blade up before his face and spun it on his finger, the claws meeting the broadside of the kukri and sliding off harmlessly in a flurry of sparks. Erwin regained his grip on the weapon and jammed the blade straight into the creature's mouth, the beast clamping down just as the entirety of the steel was in its orifice. A sudden blast inside the predator's mouth was illuminated by a flash of light through its snaggled teeth, the contents of the back of its skull pouring at as a dust round blew through it. Erwin kicked the corpse free of his blade and holstered it, turning to an impressed Fantine as he commented, "You two never cease to amaze."

"We're not done yet." Erwin said, pointing a finger back in Vlad's direction.

Vlad stood in the center of the pack that slowly closed in on him from all angles, halberd aimed ahead. The first move was made by a predator to his left, Vlad quickly meeting him with a backhanded swing of his spiked arm and nailed the corpse to his arm. His other flank was soon compromised, but Vlad brought his leg up and swung it back at the pair of predators charging him and separated their top halves of their craniums from their bottom halves. Vlad used the momentum of his kick to twist himself around, freeing his arm and taking his halberd in both hands in a blind swing, cleaving the head of one predator in half diagonally, bisecting its neighbor from shoulder to hip, and the one beyond that having its legs amputated at the thigh and knee. Vlad arched his body to the side to avoid being run through by the last intact predator. The beast flew straight past Vlad but face-first into the axe at his side, the momentum slicing it cleanly down the middle. The halves continued their path and the armed one skewered its halved but living comrade through the forehead on its descent. Vlad's last foe stood on its wobbly, uneven limbs, swatting its claws at him for in a rabid bid to kill him. Vlad smiled as he raised his halberd up in both hands, blade before his face, and drove the spike through the crown of the predator's skull. The beast instantly went silent and limp, Vlad pulling the trigger for good measure and making its head explode outward.

Vlad had barely watched the corpse flop back before he was met with a single bit of applause, the riled deserter turning to find his former superior clapping for him, cheering, "Well done, Vlad. It's been a while since I've seen what you're capable of."

"Don't think I'm done yet, Frunsberg, you're next!" Vlad shouted, pointing his staff ahead.

"Easy, Vlad, same side here."

"Gentleman, I hate to interrupt, but what's that noise I hear? More predators?" Erik inquired, pulling a pair of black gloves over his hands.

The two men quieted down and listened. It was minute at first, a rumbling in the distance. That was, until it grew near, the very ground trembling and vibrating with the force of what charged at them. "No. That's hopefully just one behemoth. You'll see why they get that name soon enough."

Frundsberg had no sooner finished his sentence before a massive beast so overfilled with muscle it had to maneuver like an ape came barreling into the clearing. Erik smiled as his fingers stiffened at his side, the glimmer of miniscule filaments revealing themselves as they radiated from his fingertips. As the behemoth crossed the distance between them and reached the halfway point, its was abruptly halted by the very same wires that Fantine had conjured. Growling in rage, the monster forced itself ahead, ignoring the wires that pressed through his flesh and sliced to the bone. Fantine's grin shrunk to a frown as it continued to push on, a wave of panic washing over him as one of the wires snapped inside its chest. Luckily, the behemoth pressed on as one of the wires pushed through its mouth, slicing its cheeks and ultimately its spine and neck, the beast standing tangled in the web. Erik promptly removed his gloves, pocketing them and freeing the beast from its trap. "Whoa, Fantine, nice little trick you hid on us! How'd you do it?" Vlad marveled, grunting and cursing under his breath as he slid the jagged claws from his arm.

"Don't expect to see it again so soon. That thing was so much stronger than I expected. It snapped one of the wires..."

"So what? You had plenty to take it down! Or is this some bs about not wanting to use your ultimate weapon to test yourself? Don't tell me you're that lame?" Vlad scoffed, removing the other set of claws from his leg.

"That's not the problem. That thing weakened them all. It must have. The wires that come off my gloves are very strong due to their forging. They can cut almost anything to pieces. But they don't have much tensile strength at all. We're lucky that snapped wire didn't come back and cut our throats open. I should have been smarter, they would have helped more when the rest showed up." Fantine lectured, scowling in his self-chastising.

The sudden stench of decay and moans of the hordes now wafted through the air. The first, scattered lines of the Inferri began to file out of the tree, the men putting their backs to each other in response. "So, this is it, Frundsberg? Or do you have some plan to somehow escape and disappear from your best friend for a couple more months?" Vlad quipped.

"Not the time. Our only hope of making it now is to do what we were supposed to do. Take down any and all in your sight. It's them or us, boys." Erwin ordered.

"As you wish, general," Fantine complied, drawing his rapier as Vlad muttered, "Suck up."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Hold as much ground as we can!" Erwin ordered, advancing ahead and firing his revolver-dagger into the hordes approaching them on his front.

Vlad began his own slow approach to the horde on his end, unloading shell after shell onto the rotting masses. Fantine lowered his head, shaking it with a smile on his face as he said to himself, "Guns? You gentlemen lack the finesse I've come to expect. Let me show you how its done."

Erik looks up and his eyes first meet the corpse of his first kill, spearhead-like throwing knife still erect from the skull it resided in. Erik threw his hand in the direction of the distant cadaver, a lengthy rope ending in a noose flying out of his sleeve and towards the weapon. The macabre lasso found its mark and, with a tug, tightened around the exposed steel tang and was ripped free. The knife flew back past Erik, zooming on past Vlad's head behind him and coming within an inch of hitting the mad man. The blade propelled straight into the forehead of an unfortunate Inferri and, with a heave, its head was ripped off of its shoulders, recoiling back past an awed Vlad and towards Fantine.

The skull zoomed ahead and cracked against another Inferri's, both exploding on impact. Erik retracts the blade, moving his head aside as the knife flies back at him, rope wrapping around his neck. The rope knife swung back around and slices into the skull of a ghoul, getting lodged in its head. Taking a section of the rope in both hands, Erik approaches the corpse before tugging the blade free. The instant he does so, he is swinging the rope blade overhead from shoulder to shoulder at high speeds, cleaving faces and skulls down the middle.

In the midst of his whirlwind, Erik finds himself being surrounded. He let the whirling blade wrap around his arm, flying backwards and up into the rotted-out nasal cavity of one behind him. Erik the blade free with a jerk of his shoulder, the weapon flying by him and into the eye socket of another ghoul. The professor whips the blade free, extending his leg to catch the rope with it and grabbing the bladed end as it hooked over in an arch behind him, slicing one more Inferri's face open. He caught the blade as it hooked over his shoulder, dangling the rope between his legs and watching as he was slowly encircled. The phantom hurls the blade with a sidehand throw, raising his leg to the let the rope lengthen and kicks it as he does, giving it an upward arc straight through the bottom of another Inferri's chin. Erik attempts to retract once more but the blade slips free of the noose, remaining with the corpse. With only his rapier in hand and a noose lying limp at his side, the Inferri closed in from all angles at Erik, his free ground ever-shrinking. Fantine closed his eyes.

In the darkness, bright flashes of metal glinted as they wildly slashed through the blackness, followed by the sounds of ripping and tearing. Fantine's eyes flung open, revealing numerous beheaded corpses lying around, their neck stumps all wrapped in over a dozen nooses emanating from the sleeves of his jacket. With a flick of his wrists, the ropes released the heads and retracted back into the recesses of his suit.

Erik then took notice to the Inferri further in the horde flying in all directions, a behemoth charging straight for the professor. As the beast neared, mid-charge, it lept up and rose its fist high into the air, crashing them down on Fantine and smashing him to a bloody heap. As the beast reared back, bellowing and beating its chest, it found itself surrounded my numerous clones of Fantine. The beast began to attack the phantom's facsimiles, swatting them aside so hard they exploded on impact, pounding them into the ground, or grabbing them and flinging them into one another.

Towards the epicenter that the horde convened on, an unscathed Fantine looked on with a grin as the beast continued to smash through its own ranks. As soon as the beast took notice to him and his comrades, Fantine hurled his rapier at the beast, skewering it through the eye, making it flop back and crush a few more of the undead. With a tug of the rope connecting him to the hilt of his sword, the weapon zipped back into Fantine's hand, looking over his shoulder and asked, "How goes it on your end, gents?"

"Not as fancy as yours, but it gets the job done." Vlad scoffed, working the pump and pulling the trigger ceaselessly.

"How many rounds do you have left, Vlad?" Erwin spoke, knocking the cylinder free and loosing all of the caps before slamming a ring of ammo into it.

"Not nearly enough, old friend. Same for you?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Things not going according to plan?"

"Not necessarily."

"Going to have to fight them up-close until we're overwhelmed?"

"That could happen."

"Oh, open your eyes, Frundsberg! This is the end of the line! As soon as our ammo runs out, our clocks start ticking."

More and more Inferri began to crowd into the ever-expanding rearguard, stacking the odds even more highly against the trio. One Inferri began to near the mass of moving, decaying bodies, only to be split down the middle like a log by a massive double-headed axe. The bloody halves crumpled to the earth, revealing a smirking Samantha hefting the weapon over her shoulder in one hand, either side were a pair of triggers and a forward-curving ammo clip behind them and nuzzled up against the axe blade's bottom, and the other fist on her hip. Her smile evaporated as she turned to face Ravencroft as she spoke, "Save your energy, Sam, looks like we've still got a lot between us and them."

**(New Music: Night Witches by Sabaton)**

Ravencroft pointed ahead at the mass of Inferri pouring ahead through the trees ahead, Theodora speaking up, "Just think. The finest military minds are somewhere in that mess right now, and Vlad Paler, too."

Sam let out a snicker as some of the Inferri at the fringes began to take notice to their presence. Ravencroft merely crossed her arms and said, "Samantha, why don't you give them a proper Team FRST welcome?"

"You mean where I run into the fray screaming at the top of my lungs and littering the ground with bodies and shell casings?"

"That's the one."

"I thought you'd never ask!" Samantha replied with a toothy grin, sprinting ahead with her axe clasped in both hands at her hip, a bloody war cry tearing itself from her throat.

Samantha effortlessly cleaved the head of the first Inferri to reach her in two diagonally, booting it into one of its comrades a few yards beyond it. She spirals ahead at high speeds, axe held out before her and mowing through the few Inferri in her way and cut several yards into the horde. She slowly spins to a stop, barely able to keep her balance in her dizziness. She shakes her head and regains her balance, finding herself being closed in on from angles. "Oh, no," she exaggeratedly pleads, back of her hand rested up against her temple, "what ever will I do?!"

She aimed the bottom of her shaft ahead, the top of the axehead pointing at her and holding the blade before her by the triggers. The shaft suddenly split down the middle, Samantha leveling her dual bullpup rifles parallel to the ground, axe blades facing towards the earth under the stocks which was tucked under her armpits. Samantha slowly began to turn herself around as she sprayed into the crowd surrounding her, guns kicking vigorously in her arms as she let out a battle cry. Soon, her guns ceased spewing out shell casing and instead let out empty clicks. "Dammit!" she cursed under her breath.

Samantha kept her fingers in the trigger loops but released her grip of the shaft, spinning them clockwise, underhand fashion on her fingers, slicing down through the skulls of a pair of Inferri behind her in the process. On the next revolution, the empty clips flew from their chambers, imbedding themselves through the faces of an unfortunate duo of rotters. She flipped her guns around and took them by the barrel end, charging headlong at the Inferri before her, axes brought back behind her.

The first Inferri in her path had its head sliced from its shoulders with a scissor-like swing of her axes, swinging them back in the opposite direction and cutting the mid-air skull in two. Following off the momentum of the backhanded swings, she brought her axes down onto a pair of skull crowns on either side of her. She booted an Inferri in the chest as she ripped her axes free, dodging the swipe of another Inferri with a spin before bringing her axes down into its upper back and the back of its skull. She lifted the corpse up before her and punted it at the line of Inferri lumbering after her, knocking them back as she charged ahead, stamping the skull of the Inferri she had kicked down in mid-stride, leaping up into the air off the stamp. She twisted and flipped herself around so that she plummeted head-first towards the Inferri below her, winding her arms up before spinning down at them like a tornado, arms outstretched. The windmill that was the soldier came down at the Inferri, mulching them and throwing their bodyparts about like they had gone through a lawnmower. Samantha quickly rose up from her kneeling position and sprinted ahead once again, axes flailing about as her arms swung back and forth in her run.

She slammed an axe down into the head of on Inferri, using its doubled-over corpse as a vault as she planted her boots into the jaw of another Inferri, sending it flying away as she landed back on her feet. Sensing herself as surrounded as ever, Samantha brought her axes over her shoulders and flung them ahead, slamming them into the heads of a couple Inferri not too far away. Reaching into a pair of pouches on either side of her and producing ammo clips in each hand. Those two were flung ahead and driven into the skulls of another unlucky pair of rotters, the ends facing her shining with the gleam of ammunition in the sunlight. She charged ahead and freed her axes from the kneeling corpses without slowing her pace, slamming them into the ammo-clip impaled corpses just beyond them, driving the clips into their chambers but also cleaving the blades through the temples of several Inferri in the path of the follow through. Another Inferri stumbled after her with a swipe of his claws, Samantha leaping over him and crashing down feet-first onto his back, pinning him prone to the ground. Samantha took a quick glance around at the ghouls around her before propelling herself forward atop her living skateboard. Arms extended out in opposite directions, Samantha began to fire her guns, making her spin wildly in her rapid path towards the center of the horde, blasting at everything that crossed her whirling point of view, and gleefully shouting and hollering, "Whoo-hoo-hoo, yeah!"

Theodora and Ravencroft looked on with crossed arms and smirks of amusement, Theodora breaking the silence as she spoke, "She's going to enjoy herself too much, you know?"

"Well, it's not every day she doesn't have to hold back," Ravencroft began, more of the rearguard of the horde creeping towards them, "But who said she gets to have all the fun."

Ravencroft uncrossed her arms and rose her fists, revealing a pair of leather gloves with long, steel talons at the end of each finger, only lacking on her thumbs. Her eyes trailed from the Inferri to the shadows that preceded them before her feet, looking up with a larger, darker grin as she slowly sunk into one that reached her feet. Just as she dissipated from sight, Theodora shuttered, muttering, "I hate when she does that."

Ravencroft abruptly rose from the chest of an unwitting Inferri, bringing her fist back with her fore and middle finger extended. She jammed them through the creature's eyes, the undead moaning as its head reared back. Flames shot down the exposed steel before the Inferri's impaled eyes, its head exploding outward to reveal the flames had fully engulfed the claws inside its head too. Ravencroft sunk back into the shadow over the corpse's chest as it teetered back, rising up from the shadow on the ground of another and slicing its skull open from chin to hairline with an uppercut of her fiery talons. She turned on her heels and clammed her spiked fingers through the temple of another ghoul closing in behind her, blasting it apart with a fiery burst on impact. Ravencroft turned herself around to find herself being closed in on from all angles, crossing her arms and looking up to the sky with disinterest, mocking, "You just don't know how to behave around a lady, do you?"

Just as she was about to be engulfed, Ravencroft was sucked down into another shadow cast over her, shooting back up once more with her back to the Inferri casting it, her risen hand skewering it through the chin. Ravencroft hurled the corpse over her shoulder, the ragdoll taking down a comrade in its path, the Inferri around the downed rotter looking down at it for a moment and looking back at Ravencroft, who had once more disappeared. She reappeared, looming being an unsuspecting ghoul until her hands were clasping each temple, a harsh twist coinciding with a harsh snap. Soon, from the melding of the Inferri shadows around her, Ravencroft was vanishing and reappearing rapidly before or behind Inferri, snapping their necks, skewering their skulls, or slicing their brains apart. When she finally rose to her own feet, she stood in the midst of a pile of dozens of corpses, their puncture and slash wounds cauterized by her burning talons.

Watching her comrade with a hand on her hip and rolling her eyes, Theodora held a sword at her side with multiple orbs containing dust every six inches or so. The wind picked up at her flank and blew her hair in her face, the huntress carefully moving her long, flowing brown hair from her face and scoffing, "She always has to show off that little talent."

As Ravencroft vanished further and further into the horde, the inferri nearest Theodora began to take greater interest in the temptress, shambling and moaning after her. "Ah, finally, a girl can get your attention. Well, boys, let me show what I can do."

Theodora brought her sword far out to her side, swinging it ahead and the blade lengthened out before her, each section with its own orb and separated from the next segment of steel by elastic chains binding them together. The extended blade shot through the air like a bolt of lighting, the tip skewering the rotted nasal cavity of an inferri. The inferri suddenly began to convulse and smoke from its mouth, until its head burst from the voltage running through it head like a watermelon of gore. With a flick of her wrist, the blade retracted to its original form at her side in an instant.

An inferri lumbered at her with a swipe of its hand, Theodora leaping high into the air out of its reach and twisting herself around, landing on its shoulders. The undead being stumbled around under her weight, its dislocated shoulders leaving it helpless under her. A trio of inferri stumbled at the pair, only for Theodora to slash down at them with her whip sword, slicing their cheeks and jaws open to the spine, the tops of their heads flopping back open like trash cans under a geyser of spraying crimson. Theodora brought her sword up before her and drove it down into the skull of the inferri between her feet, then rose her still-imbedded sword up before her and extended the blade. She somersaulted off the miraculously standing corpse, her landing on a knee throwing it over her and, coupled with the momentum and weight added to the blade, a section of blade halfway between her and the hooked corpse sliced an inferri in twain from crown to crotch.

The corpse became dislodged on impact, crushing a comrade under its forceful crash. She suddenly rose her sword overhead, the blade whipping back at her and around her back, entangling the back of an inferri's neck behind the kneeling temptress. She caught the tip of the blade in her free hand, rising with the top of her head crashing into the chin of the ghoul, the force driving the inferri back and decapitating itself on the blade in its spine. Theodora swung her blade before her in a long swoop, the extending sword cutting a swath through a crowd of inferri before her, the electricity aiding in cutting through them like butter. She brought her sword up next to her face, sparking with electric jolts now, with both hands on the hilt, ready for the inferri to close in once again.

She got no such chance, as Samantha came barreling in through the crowd far off ahead of Theodora like a bowling ball through pins. The soldier grinded to a halt before Theodora, absolutely caked in gore and a manic smile, the inferri she rode about on ground down to the point it lacked limbs or a chest, only its very back and head intact until Samantha stomped it in. "So, how's it goin' on your end, Theo?"

"You know I don't like that name. And you certainly know how to spoil a girl's good time." Theodora replied with a thin grin, batting her hair out of her face once again.

"You girls certainly do know how to make a mess of things," Ravencroft sarcastically chastised, rising up from nothing behind them, "Not that I'm complaining. We now have all we need to clear a path to the boys."

"We do?" Theodora and Samantha replied in baffled unison.

"Certainly. The field is now running thick and slick with the blood of our enemies. The thunder has crushed them, how about a little bit more lightning to precede us, Theodora?"

"It would be my pleasure." Theodora chuckled, stepping before her to the precipice of the sea of blood at the end of the untouched section of grass.

She rose her blade before her face once more, glowing by this point with electricity, and jammed it into the blood soaked dirt. The blood instantly began to glow a sickening neon red, the inferri all in its path, and even further beyond they could see, spasming randomly and uncontrollably. Many of the corpses began to smoke and even catch fire until, eventually, their skulls began to burst in random groups, large or small, like grotesque fireworks. Theodora retracted her blade, dull once more but continuing to smoke, and the corpses fell in droves instantly in response. Though not all had fallen, a wide path was cleared for them, a trio of stunned figures standing in the middle far ahead of the clearing. "Well, girls, lets pay our boys a visit." Ravencroft insisted.

The women gracefully strolled over the mound of bodies they had created, Vlad and Erwin looking on with awe and dropped jaws. Fantine, meanwhile, merely smirked and chuckled, stating, "I told you they'd find a way."

"I think I'm in love." Vlad muttered.

The girls stepped off the path of death before the men, Ravencroft looking them over before setting her eyes on her comrade, quipping, "Well, this is the first time I've ever seen you get your hands dirty, let alone the rest of you."

"It's good to see you too, Ravencroft. I'm sure you know of my comrades in this situation, Erwin Frundsberg and Vlad Paler."

"We'd love to introduce ourselves, too, but we still have some company." Ravencroft retorted, turning to face the conglomerate of the dead that was closing in.

"And we better act fast, Julia is coming this way, and she's destroying the island from above." Theodora added.

"Yeah, she said we had a bit of time to get you guys and we'd know when she was here. Uh, Fantine, you've got something on you." Samantha pointed out, aiming a finger at her companion's shoulder.

Fantine looked at his shoulder, finding a thin, red beam of light rising up from his shoulder and into the sky. He and the other soon took notice to the perfectly circular ring around them. The light abruptly began to move in on their center. Erwin's eyes shot open wide, shouting, "MOVE!"

Erwin burst through the group towards the incoming undead, the women and Fantine in hot pursuit. Meanwhile, Vlad merely meandered towards them, shoulder shrugged and cupped hands raised before him in confusion, demanding, "What's the big deal? Where the hell are you guys going?!"

**(New Music: The Second Stone by Epica)**

His answer was met as the light formed a much tighter circle, a massive red laser spewing down from the heavens and striking the earth, an identical one doing so at the opposite end of the inferri ranks. Though the madman managed to avoid the initial laser, the blast hurled Vlad end over end ahead, screaming in shock. The blast dislodged huge hunks of earth and rock, the force of the quake throwing everything, alive, dead, or undead, into the air. The group found themselves on a large slab flying high into the air, many other rocks smaller than their own ripping through the air. "We have to get out of here or we're going to be smashed or blasted to oblivion!" Erwin ordered, Vlad careening onto their rock with a charred back and groaning in pain.

Erik hefted the madman's arm over his shoulder, helping him up to his dazed feet as Ravencroft echoed, "He's right. We have to get out of here before everything comes crashing down on our heads."

Just as her words exited her mouth, a dozen figures dropped onto the rocks they stood on. The pack of lurkers glared up at them, their horrid red eyes burning through them. One of the ghouls reared back and roared in fury, the rest of the horde dispersing around it and right for the humans. "Everyone, split up and meet up once everything is clear!" Erwin ordered, turning and high-tailing it off the rock with Fantine dragging a slow Vlad after the general, all leaping down and out of sight..

Theodora took off ahead of her comrades, whipping her sword ahead and imbedding it in a still-ascending boulder above her, and, with a yank of the sword, she ascended up to it rapidly. "Come on, Theodora, that's not fair!" Samantha whined as she and Ravencroft skidded to a stop at the edge of the rock.

"Let's even it out then, Sam." Ravencroft rebutted, embracing her from behind.

The long, feathered cape at her back suddenly split down the middle, two erect wings parallel to the ground at her shoulders. They crooked in the middle at a 90 degree angle, giving her wings a dark, angelic look before she turned to face the charging inferri. "Ravencroft, are you out of your mind!" Samantha cried out.

"Sit tight and trust me!" Ravencroft responded, teetering back and falling off the rock.

The inferri skidded to a stop at the rock's end, its ascent halting just for a moment before all the rubble began to plummet to earth. An abject blurred before them, the beasts looking up to find Samantha and Ravencroft, her wings flapping with long, swooping gusts, flying into the air higher still. The beasts took notice to the men hopping below them and Theodora above. Like a stream around a boulder, the undead poured off in two directions, half leaping up the pathway of rocks to the temptress and the others descending on the men.

Erwin looked back to see what the women were doing, only to find the lurkers bearing down on them. "Keep moving, men, and keep those things as far behind you as you can!"

Without giving the inferri so much as a look, they continued to hop down from rock to rock large enough to hold them all. The lurkers grew closer still but one was taken out mid leap by a flying rock slamming into its back and driving it down towards the ground. As they landed on another rock, Erwin turned to fire at the nearest inferri, blowing through its forehead and sending it flopping into the chest of its nearest ally, taking them both off their rock and into the sea of falling rubble all around them. "Keep moving, you two. I'll fend them off." Erwin called out.

"Don't be dumb, Erwin, you know just as well as me you aren't getting out of here unless you keep moving." Vlad snapped, Fantine looking on with concern.

"Just trust me, I'll be fine. Now move!" Erwin reassured.

With no choice, Fantine dragged Vlad away, the madman shouting back, "You better not play dead for the next few months again, Erwin! You still owe me a few war stories, ya know?"

With that, Fantine and Vlad escaped further into the canopy of stone, Erwin holding his blade in a combat pose before him. The three remaining lurkers split up among the rocks and enclosed on Erwin from all angles, who remained stoic and unmoving. The lurkers at his flanks lunged at him simultaneously, only for the general to duck under them and let them crash skull-first into one another, collapsing into a heap behind him. He quickly shot up as the last lurker of the pack sprung onto the rock before him, hunched and ready to pounce. The beast charged at the general with a wide-open, frothing mouth, swiping for his throat with its jagged claws. It caught only air as Erwin dropped down once again, sweep kicking it in the shins and taking it off its feet. As the beast was flopping to the ground, Erwin inverted the grip on his blade and wheeled his kukri out to the side, jamming the blade through the back of the lurker's head and out its mouth. The beast crashed onto the heads of its dazed comrade's, the Hydra digging through their skulls as well and shish kabobing the trio of undead at once. Erwin had little time to recuperate as he withdrew and sheathed his blade, a boulder smashing the corpses to pulp and cracking is own rock in two. His eyes darted around for an escape route, his semblance in overdrive until his body reacted faster than he could think and leaped to a rock beneath him just as another humongous slab smashed into his former island, smashing it to bits. Erwin now saw his path to the edge of the crashing rubble before him, nimbly leaping from rock to rock as quickly as he could without interruption.

Theodora continued to swing from rock to rock with the aid of her whip sword, gaining huge amounts of distance faster than the lurkers could cover to catch up. The temptress found she had made it to the edge of the falling rock wall, only to find she had risen far too high to descend safely. What truly took her breath away was the island, or lack thereof, before her. The ground was charred and devastated, no forest or even grass to be seen to the island's end. Julia was taking it to task to lay waste to every square inch of the island and she was doing a damn good job of it. Her hesitation allowed the lurkers to catch up, the screech of their nails on rock bringing her attention back to her current situation. "Settle down, boys, there's plenty of me to go around." she jibed, sword aimed out ahead of her.

Just as the pack was ready to slam down on her, the repetitive blast of gunfire sounded off, the inferri quickly being blown to pieces and off the rock. Theodora shielded her eyes and looked up at her saviors, Samantha raising her smoking axe rifles while being held in a flying Ravencroft's arms. "You girls really know how to ruin a moment. That was very anticlimactic."

"Hey, it gets the job done, screw finesse!" Samantha rebuffed.

A guttural roar turned all of their attention as a behemoth plummeted down on them, grasping Samantha by the leg and dragging her and Ravencroft down with it. The duo slammed a crater into the rock, Ravencroft nearly out of it and Samantha in barely any better condition. The behemoth pushed itself back up to its lumbering stance, raising its fists up high to crush the women. A blade suddenly ripped into its chest and the beast froze, roaring in pain as the wound began to smoke and burn. "Girls, move! I don't know how much longer I can keep it like this!"

Samantha shook her head of the fog that engulfed her, quickly springing to her feet and throwing Ravencroft over her shoulder, the professor folded over limp. Samantha charged to be by Theodora's side, the temptress thinking aloud, "What now?!"

Samantha set Ravencroft on Theodora's shoulder, joining her hatchets together to form the giant, double-bladed axehead once more, coldly stating, "Get to safety. I want this big guy all to myself."

"Sam, are you crazy?!"

"Is that a rhetorical question?" Samantha replied, looking back over her shoulder to reveal her crimson eyes.

Theodora snickered to herself and cracked a smile, snapping her wrist and retracting the blade from the enraged behemoth. "Well, I'll let you two kids have some fun. Just make sure you go easy on him, okay?"

"I'll do my best." Sam reassured, Theodora hopping down lower and lower still on the levels of rock, hoping to get to a level that was safe to exit the asteroid field.

Samantha strolled up to the furious inferri, beating its chest as she hefted the axe on one shoulder and put her free fist to her hip, grumbling, "Well, come on, big boy, let's see what you got."

With that, the beast threw its fists down at her, the huntress leaping out of harms way as the blow further drove a crack in the rock. Samantha took advantage and shot back at the behemoth, slamming her axe deep into its chest, and received and enraged roar in response. The beast crossed an arm across its body and backhanded at her, only for Samantha to leap over the swing and plant both boots in its face. She flipped back over herself with axe in-hand, the beast stumbling back from the blow. As soon as Samantha touched down, she was back at the behemoth, who met her with an uppercut. She lept up before the blow so that it caught her feet, rocketing her high into the air, her arms and legs curled back behind her. As she plummeted down to her foe, she swung with all her might at its shoulder, cutting through its thick bone and halfway through the limb in general but found herself lodged in the wound. The beast nailed her in the gut with an uppercut from its other arm, sending her sailing off the rock and the blade with her, exiting its body with a sickening sucking noise. The beast dug its hands into the crack of the rock before it, heaving and growling with straining before it snapped the rock in two, hurling the huge portion in its hands up at her.

Samantha continued to tumble into the air, blood filling her mouth and a slim stream of crimson running down her chin from the corner of her mouth. Sam's ascent slowed and reached its zenith, able to finally right herself in the air and see the slab rocketing up at her. Her face contorted with rage, nearly biting through her lower lip as she took her axe in one hand and brought her free fist back. She swung it around with all her might, the connection of fist and rock resulting in both a harsh snap and the instant stop of the rock's momentum. Samantha gritted her teeth through the pain of her shattered hand and pushed with the rest of strength she could muster to send the rock flying far faster down at the behemoth than it had come up. The beast spread its arms out to catch the slab, but it was hit far harder than it could anticipate. The beast was taken clean off its feet, the momentum of the massive projectile firing it into the ground below and crushing like paste. The adrenaline ceased to run through Samantha's veins, the unbearable pain of her hand making her lose grip of her consciousness and she fell to the earth like a ragdoll.

Just as she nearly was splattered across the charred earth, an object swooped her out of the air, a recuperated Ravencroft, scooping her up in her arms and looking down at her with her usual unfazed expression. "You never cease to amaze, Sam."

The faunus woman kept the two of them aloft with her wings and gazed about the skies of the Abyss. All around them, the stones they were fighting on were falling to the ground as Julia's path of destruction burned across the island, the beams annihilating anything they touched. The raven haired professor watched as Theodora made her way back to solid ground and reunited with Erik and the boys as the boulders they had fought upon crashed to the gorund behind her. Seeing a clear space to set herself down, Ravencroft gave her wings a mighty flap and flew towards the rest of her teammates.

Erik watched as his partner made a graceful landing, her feet barely making a sound as she touched down, immidiately laying the unconscious form of Samantha Patton on the ground. "The three of you never fail to make an entrance." The phantom commented. Ravencroft simply shrugged in response. "Will she make it?" He asked, tone growing more serious as he looked over Samantha's form.

"She's hurt, but she still has a pulse," Ravencroft commented. "I checked it on the way down."

The phantom nodded and looked out over the burning island as Theodora lit the blue flare that would signal Atlas to pick them up. His face bore a somber expression as he watched the island burn. He remembered the first time he and his team had set foot on this island, following a large flock of Nevermore that landed here, on this uncharted island. It wasn't long before he and his team realized that uncharted was not a synonym for uninhabited, as the inferri soon made themselves known. It took two days of running and hiding, low on ammo and running out of rations before Ozpin brought their rescuers.

"Lien for your thoughts?"

Erik looked to the source of the voice to see Erwin, the young general, battered and bruised had sheathed his kukri at his belt. "It feels like a hundred years since I first landed here with my army. I figured my being stranded here was my punishment for... what happened to them..."

"No one deserves to be here at all." Fantine commented, looking off into the distance. "The plans of the council were doomed from the start, but now," Fantine hesitated as he looked over the charred and blasted landscape where lush forests once reigned. The only sounds now were the echoes of the lasers that still bombarded the island, the only sights being the massive warship that loomed over the land like a great beast, its might crushing the once fertile island into rubble. "The plan was once to settle this island after your men killed the inferri, but now, now it will likely be centuries before anything lives here again. The light of this island's future has been extinguished."

"But what would have been worse?" Erwin asked. "This island was once a place of death and decay, the creatures here killing anything unfortunate enough to land. Now, well, maybe the ghosts of the past can rest easy. Maybe thier souls can be at peace now that their bodies are truly dead."

Fantine looked the general in the eye. "Does that include the souls of your men, General Frundsberg?" The phantom asked. "I know you still feel responsible for their deaths."

Erwin sighed deeply and looked to the ground. Fantine suspected he would have cried, but it seemed the general had shed his tears months ago when his army was killed. Fantine took a step back, thinking the general could use his space, and looked out into the distance once again. Looking to the sky, he could see the approaching shape of the bullhead that would soon pick them up. Though he could not get off this island soon enough, Erik took a moment to once agin look over the island again. The once blossoming forest may have become a great crater, but it still only seemed right to look over the land that had nearly been the death of him not once, but three times. As he looked over the blasted and rocky land, the gleam of metal caught his eye. Fantine looked to the source of the gleam to see a small metal object embedded in the earth. Though the land had been devestated around it, it seemed it had barely moved from where it was.

Intrigued, Erik decided to investigate, walking in the direction of the gleam. when he got closer, Fantine recognized just what he saw. Embedded in the stone was a sword, a short, forward curving blade of a falcata. It was battered, but he could see that the edge was still sharp, as it was plunged into solid rock. Carved on the side of the blade was a single word: _Drakon. _

"I never thought I would see this again." Erik turned to the source of the voice to see it was Erwin once again. "That sword was given to me after the Faunus War, in recognition of my actions as a general. When I escaped the White Fang, I considered going back to get it from the camp, but," Erwin hesitated as the events of that ngiht came back to haunt him. The smell of flames, the sound of screams and gunfire, and the feeling of loss as his men were cut down in droves. "But after my men were killed, I thought I wasn't worthy of carrying it."

Fantine folded his arms and looked at the blade. "It's clearly a fine sword." He remarked. "It survived all these months here, as well as the bombardment."

"But does a failed general deserve to wield such a blade?" Erwin asked. "My strategies may have propelled Vale to victory in the Faunus War, but my failure here will always haunt me, a stain on my record and a nightmare to remember forever."

The phantom frowned. He took a step forward and pulled the blade from the ground. "I think you should still take it." He said, handing the sword to a stunned Erwin. "It's too fine a blade to remain here."

Erwin stammered as he took the blade with shaking hands. "But... But what about the men and women who died here? They were under my command, and died under my watch! I can't carry an award like this after a failure like that!"

"Then don't carry it." Fantine said. "If you're so convinced that you don't deserve to wield this weapon, then take it back to the kingdoms, and find someone who does. Find someone worthy of wielding this blade, if not for yourself, then for those who followed you."

Erwin's hands stopped shaking as he held _Drakon's _handle, the sword's familiar heft both comforting and painful at the same time. Sighing in resignation, Erwin took the sword by the blade and relinquished the handle entirely. "I'll take it with me, but I refuse to wield this blade ever again."

The sound of engines made both men turn as the bullhead touched down, the others calling to them to board it. "Then come, let's get back to Vale and choose your blade's new weilder."

**oxoxoxo**

**And with that, I bring this story to a close**

**I truly hope everyone who read this and stuck with me while wrote this story enjoyed it as much as I did, and since I intend to continue this series, as RT is, I hope that everyone who read this story will stay with me in the future.**

**I'll say more on my future plans in a bit, but first, I'd like to give a very special thanks to a few people in particular. First and foremost, a special thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this story. You guys are the reason I write, and knowing you enjoy my work is what keeps me going.**

**Second, a special thanks to everyone who let me borrow characters and concepts to use in this story. To Madninja324 who allowed me to use Team INGO, Team VOAJ and our villain, Derek Blanch. I'm sure you can tell I have plans for Blanch in the future, and let me assure you, VOAJ and INGO will be back. Special thanks as well go to undaed15, who allowed me to use The Axman, Taipan and Aedan, all three of whom will be back as well. Last, but certainly not least, a VERY special thanks goes out to DeadAliveManiac, my frequent collaborator and partner in crime, who allowed me to use Vlad, Erwin and Ben, as well as The Abyss and the inferri. In addition, he also wrote both this chapter's battle, as well as the massive "Impact" battle with the inferri. If you enjoyed ANY of what they gave to this story, then check them out as soon as possible. Preferrably, as soon as you finish reading this. Seriously, go read what these guys have made, it's great stuff.**

**Now, for what I'm sure you've all been waiting for: Volume 3**

**Team EMAD heads to the Vytal Festival, ready to test their skills against the best hunter students Remnant has to offer. Meanwhile, Ben Aparte leads his vigilante force against an anti-faunus cult. Behind the scenes, plots are hatched to take the whole world by surprise. Can EMAD and their allies save Vale from those plotting against it?**

**Find out in the next installment: RWBY: Glowing Embers**


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